Two
by kalejay
Summary: Vampires Edward and Jasper are partners in crime who make a game of their hunt for human blood. Their brotherly dynamic is threatened when Edward meets Bella and is tempted to start playing by his own rules. Vamp/AU/OOC. This is not slash. COMPLETE.
1. The Spice of Life and Death

**Disclaimer:** Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with her characters.

**Summary:** Vampires Edward and Jasper are partners in crime who make a game of their hunt for human blood. Their brotherly dynamic is threatened when Edward meets Bella and is tempted to start playing by his own rules. Vamp/AU/OOC.

**Rated M for violence, coarse language, and sexual situations.**

**__****This is NOT slash**. Edward and Jasper are my main characters, not a pairing.**  
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**Two**

**Chapter 1: The Spice of Life and Death**

The fire cracked. Bright red and orange embers scattered upward then fizzled out just before touching the ground. I took a long haul off my cigarette, finishing what was left of it, then flicked the butt into the crackling blaze. My eyes focused past the flames to the tent directly across it, and I narrowed them in contempt. The sounds of grunting and moaning that came from beyond the canvas enclosure was beginning to grate on my last nerve.

_"Ohhh, Jasper... Yes! More. More!... Oh, Fuck... FUCK, YESSSSS!"_

_"Oh, baby... You're so warm... so wet... so... good..."_

I rolled my eyes at the overlapping carnal blather and fished another cigarette from the breast pocket of my jacket. I fired it up and sucked back a hard drag.

"Will you just get it over with, already?" I grumbled bitterly under my breath. Smoke spilled from between my lips as I ranted, then I blew out what was left from the side of my mouth.

I turned my head sideways and glanced at my own tent from the corner of my eye. There was nothing but silence coming from it, and that appeased, yet aggravated me at the same time. I scowled at the fact that I was out here all by myself with nothing to do but listen to the sounds of my brother and his latest conquest fucking like there was no tomorrow. Well, for one of them there wouldn't be, but that was beside the point.

By the pitch of the bitch's moaning I gathered that my wish would be granted shortly. The shriek that next escaped her mouth was so piercing it could have sliced the black right off the night sky. Whether it was a cry of intense pleasure or one of extreme pain I had yet to determine, but knowing better, it was probably a mixture of both.

Then I smelled the blood. I instantly became hypnotized by its delectable aroma, but the nuisance of my situation briskly shook me out of my momentary daze.

Inside the tent, I could hear Jasper sucking back his red wine. I seethed in jealousy, for my own chalice had been already drained. Lifting my hand up to my lips, I busied my mouth with my cigarette instead, and suffered through my envy in silence.

A few moments later, the curved door flap of the tent zipped open and Jasper emerged head first. Exiting the tent, he pushed off his knees and stood to his full height. He was shirtless, wearing only faded blue jeans. His wavy blond hair was a wild mess, tousled across his forehead, and blood stained his lips and both sides of his face. He tongued the corner of his mouth, then licked the sticky remains of his kill off the end of his thumb.

I narrowed my eyes at him when his gaze met mine, and I continued to nurse on my cigarette. Jasper peered at me oddly and wiped his face clean. My hostility confused him but he chose to dismiss it. Walking around the fire toward me, he shook his head and pointed a thumb back toward his tent.

"There's no way _that_ chick was a virgin before tonight," he said. "Not a chance, unless she masturbated daily with a thermos-sized dildo or something."

He stopped walking a few paces short of where I sat, then stared off into nothingness, distracted by his own thought. He grinned at the idea.

"Would you fucking stop thinking about that shit? I don't need to see it!" I snapped, squeezing the inside corners of my eyes. My ability to see and hear thoughts was just as much of a burden as it was an asset when it came to the contents of Jasper's mind. It was a constant fucking porno in there.

He looked down at me and smirked. The red hue of his irises were amplified by the glow of the fire. "You're just bitter 'cause yours didn't let you in her panties," he assumed.

Did I fuck the girl in my tent? No. Did I get what I ultimately wanted from her? Fuck yes. Her veins were drained and my belly was full. Mission accomplished. End of story. As far as I was concerned, anyway.

"She would have let me," I argued defensively, unsure why I even felt the need to justify myself.

"Wait. So you didn't even _try_ to fuck her first?" Jasper sighed with disappointment. "Don't you like pussy, Cullen?" He grabbed the concert t-shirt he had discarded earlier and slipped it back on. The Rolling Stones seemed to be mocking me as well.

"That psycho Barbie would not stop blabbing! The only way to shut her mouth was to rip it off."

"Uh... You didn't consider stuffing your cock in it first?"

I groaned in exasperation. "You're such a whore," I threw out. I didn't hold resentment toward Jasper for it, I just didn't have the patience to prolong the wait like he did to obtain what I craved most. Blood. Hot, succulent blood.

"And you're an impatient newborn!"

I rolled my eyes and flicked the ashes from my cigarette. True, I hadn't been a vampire for very long. Jasper changed me into one only two years ago, but I was far from acting like a newborn. I had already outgrown that stage. Newborns were wild and undisciplined throughout the first year of their new life, and my behavior had nothing to do with self control. I simply went after what I wanted and didn't feel the need to waste my time with the preliminaries. Jasper, on the other hand, was all about the extras. He craved sensation and he soaked it up as often as he could.

"Can we just get out of here?" I huffed, standing up.

"Can you just have some fun, please?" Jasper countered, and stood directly in front of me. "Edward Cullen, don't be sullen," Jasper's lip twitched at his intentional rhyme.

"I'm not sullen."

Jasper gave me his best '_who are you trying to fool'_ look. There was no point in lying. Jasper possessed the incredible ability to sense emotions as well as manipulate them. He knew how I felt just as well as I knew what he was thinking.

He reached into my jacket and swiped a cigarette from my pack. After tucking it between his lips he pulled a lighter from his back pocket, cupped his hands around his mouth and lit his smoke.

"You're frustrated as fuck, man," Jasper observed. "When was the last time you got laid? It's no wonder you're such a brooding bastard all the time," he accused with a twisted grin stretching across his face.

"Get off my dick." I brushed him aside, shoving his shoulder with mine.

"Well, _someone_ should be on it!" he threw back. He caught me by my elbow, making me turn back to face him, then pointed at a large rock behind me. "Sit."

"I've already been sitting around forever waiting for you to finish up. I'm leaving."

"Siiiiit, down!" he insisted, his tone bordering on aggression. He pushed his index finger in the center of my chest and heaved me down onto the rock.

I glared up at him like an unwilling disgruntled child. It probably wasn't the best way to negate his previous newborn comment, but whatever.

Jasper squatted down in front of me and clicked his tongue. The slight trace of aggression vanished completely from his expression, and he peered at me like he was an all-knowing genius that was preparing to bestow his wisdom unto me. "Edward, little bro... I'm not a big fan of sushi," he said.

I shook my head, confused by his peculiar statement. "The fuck are you talking about?"

"I prefer having my meal heated up before I eat it. Tell me, what do you think happens when a chick gets horny?"

"You fuck her six ways to Sunday."

Jasper laughed. "It's simple biology, Cullen. Her heart pounds more quickly. Her blood flows faster. It gets warmer. It gets... _seasoned_," he explained, then licked his lips as though his words had placed flavor on them. "You gotta take your time and play with her a little bit. Get her all riled up first. It'll make her taste hot and spicy. _Then_ tear her throat out. Learn a little patience, and as an appetizer you get someone to play with your dick. Is that so terrible?"

I relaxed my frown, reluctantly allowing my irritation to turn to intrigue.

"You're pissed off because you know I'm right," Jasper continued. He reached sideways and snatched one of the girls' backpacks and began to rummage through it as he continued to speak. "I don't care what your mommy used to tell you. You _should_ play with your food before you eat it, and let it play with you, too. Savor your meal for once instead of constantly swallowing it whole. That's all I'm sayin'. Oh, Marlboro's! Sweet!" He pocketed the smokes he found, along with some cash, then stood up and tossed the bag onto the campfire.

I had to admit, Jasper had a way with words. Vampire or not, I was still a guy, and though I refused to admit it to him, Jasper had a good thing going. So maybe I _was_ frustrated, and yeah, maybe I had been my own cock-block lately. I never really looked at it the way Jasper was describing, and the mention of hot seasoned blood got me salivating again.

Jasper grinned smugly, sensing that I had surrendered to his advice. "Am I turning you on, Edward?"

"Fuck off." A laugh escaped me despite myself. Shit.

Then he started to sing.

_"I wanna kiss you all over..."_

"Stop it."

_"... and over again..."_

"Jas..." I warned.

_"I wanna kiss you all over. Till the night closes in."_

"Get your face away from me!"

_"TILL THE NIGHT CLOSES INNNNN!"_

I sprang forward and tackled my brother, nearly sending us both into the fire.

"Ohhh, yeah! Come on baby, pour some sugar on me!" Jasper teased as we wrestled, using an exaggerated version of his Texas drawl.

Within seconds he infected me with laughter, and both of us were howling as we pummeled each other.

I gained the upper hand in our rumble, and with what was meant to be a playful shove, I inadvertently sent us both slamming into the side of Jasper's car. His laughter abruptly cut short and turned into a hostile snarl.

"Mother fucker!" he growled, pushing me off him. He spun around and smoothed his palm across the shiny black metal, meticulously checking for any dents. If there was anything Jasper loved more than blood and fucking girls to death, it was his '67 Mustang Fastback.

He sighed in relief when he confirmed no damage had been done. Our bodies were hard like stone so it really was a miracle that the impact had no ill effect on his precious vehicle.

It was Jasper's turn to narrow his eyes at me. Holding his thumb and index finger an inch apart, he indicated how close he came to losing his shit, and gave me a threatening glare as he stood up. I felt a wave of his aggression from deep within my chest like an invisible punch.

Fun time was over.

"Let's go," he said, opening the driver's side door. "Take care of that, will you?" he added, pointing to the tents.

I picked up the kerosene lanterns and tossed one inside each tent. They both set ablaze, and would eventually incinerate the evidence of our kills.

I made my way back to the Mustang and slumped myself into the passenger seat. From the driver's side, Jasper slanted a look in my direction. A slow smile crept back to his face and he shook his head, cursing me under his breath. With a turn of his wrist the engine roared to life, and I watched the burning campsite in my side view mirror until it disappeared into the distance.

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A/N: Comments are sinfully delicious. Treat me to some!**_


	2. Blood Sugar Sex Magic

**Chapter 2: ****Blood Sugar Sex Magic**

I hated it when Jasper was right. I really fucking did. He's a cocky smug bastard who never hesitates to shove an _I told you so_ in my face, but I had to admit, I was really glad he was right about this...

A couple nights after his words of wisdom at the campsite, I found myself sitting on the edge of a bed of a college sophomore girl's dorm room with my pants around my ankles. Her head bobbed up and down between my legs as she expertly swirled her tongue around my dick. Jasper was right. This _was_ a good way to shut them up. One less voice I had to listen to, the better.

The cute brunette (I had already forgotten her name) moaned as she reveled at how incredibly hard I was.

_Don't chip a tooth, honey_, I thought, smiling down at the top of her head.

I'd been without sustenance since the campsite, and I was parched, but I was curious enough about the recent advice I'd been given to want to entertain it. So I held back the immediate urge to slake my thirst, and let the tramp work her magic. I mean, wasting this girl's oral talent seemed like such a shame. Besides, if I returned to Jasper empty-handed he'd certainly label me as a newborn prude for eternity.

"Come up here," I beckoned, once I felt she was sufficiently warmed up. I needed her closer to my mouth.

She climbed up off her knees and reached underneath her skirt to peel off her panties, smiling wickedly as she did so. She straddled my hips, and I cupped her bare ass, lowering her body down onto mine. She slid me deep inside of her and I hissed in pleasure at the hot silk that surrounded me. I had nearly forgotten how good it felt, even more so, since I experienced heat more intensely than when I was human. Her warmth was appetizing. Every last inch of her body radiated heat and it was driving me insane with hunger. I had to remind myself several times to savor the moment, to prolong the desire.

She crossed her arms in front of herself and pulled her shirt up and over her head, then tossed it away, giving me a full view of her surgically altered D-cups that were barely contained inside a skimpy black bra. I let her bounce up and down for a while, allowing her to exert herself. I took insane pleasure in her riding me, but also in feeling her body grow more and more feverish by the second.

When she tipped her head back to expose her throat to me, I completely lost it. Snaking my arms up her back and behind her head, I pulled her closer to me and lowered my mouth against her neck. I licked upward from her collarbone and when I reached the pulse point underneath her jaw, I pulled my lips back over my teeth and sank them ferociously into her flesh. A violent stream of blood poured from the wound and into my mouth, spilling out around my lips. She screamed and I secured her body more roughly against me. There was loud music playing in the hallway and it was certain to have muffled the noise, and the door was also locked, pending any complications.

Fisting the hair at the back of her head, I pulled sideways to arch her neck even more, allowing me better access to my feast. Her body, slick with sweat, sex and blood, writhed in panic, but she was no match against my strength. Her life quickly slipped away and she finally grew limp in my arms. I finished the last of her and sighed through a rush of air as I pulled my mouth away.

"Fucking hell!" I uttered in ecstasy, small droplets of blood spraying from my lips onto the silicone twins. I couldn't remember the last time a kill tasted so delicious.

I really fucking hated it when Jasper was right.

I pushed the body off me and it slumped heavily to the ground. I swept the back of my hand across my bloody mouth and looked around for something better to clean up with. I couldn't just walk out into the hallway looking like... well... like I had just butchered someone. I found a large t-shirt folded across her pillow. The scent of masculine cologne clung to it, and I imagined it belonged to her boyfriend. I scoffed, and used it to wipe myself clean of her blood, then dropped it over the corpse when I was done.

I stood up, got dressed and headed for the door. Upon second thought, I turned around and snatched her panties from off the floor and stuffed them into my front pocket.

"Thanks for showing me the light, babe," I sneered, then left the dorm undetected. I could have dropped a match and burned the whole fucking place down if I really wanted to, but Jasper and I would be out of town before the body even got cold.

I found the Mustang parked a couple blocks down from campus, haloed by the glow of a street lamp. Jasper was on his back sprawled across both front seats with his crossed ankles hanging out the passenger side window. I bent to look inside and he grinned up at me with a look of self satisfaction, his arms crossed behind his head.

"I brought you a souvenir," I said. Digging the panties out of my pocket, I tossed the lacy projectile at his face.

Jutting his fist out, Jasper caught it then sat upright.

"Shut up," I warned, anticipating his smugness.

"That good, huh?"

I couldn't wipe the growing smile off my face. "I said shut up," I repeated, then opened the door and slid into shotgun.

_I told you so, _he gloated using his thoughts.

"Yeah, whatever. Just don't start singing again."

Something happened to me that night. Something clicked. I finally understood what Jasper had been talking about all this time. Granted, I was still new in the game. Jasper had spent nearly a century in this life before he pulled me into it, and with all his experience, I saw no reason not to adhere to the way he lived. If a little play and patience was in order to acquire the most palatable flavor, what sense did it make to pass it up?

We became comrades. Two teammates playing the same game instead of two individuals doing their own thing. We bonded closer. We were finally on the same page. And because of that, the next twenty years that followed were delicious in every way shape and form. I had to hand it to Jasper. He made hunting fun.

In the winter of early 2011, I'd spent a quarter of a century as a vampire. I'd officially lived longer this way than I had as a human, and my immortal life was a hell of a lot better than the piss poor one I left behind. I suffered a life of having parents who cursed the day I was born; a life of working for an overbearing employer who would constantly berate me; a life of living in a shit hole basement apartment with bare bulbs hanging from the ceiling and nothing but week-old take-out in the fridge. I wanted out of that life long before Jasper took it from me. He had found me stumbling around drunk and dejected one night in an alley behind a bar in Chicago, Illinois. That's where he shut my eyes to that world forever, and I was never more grateful to have left it behind.

Jasper pulled me from a stagnant, unfulfilling mortal life, and thrust me into immortality. As a vampire, I only really needed one thing. Blood. And it was mine for the taking. I was strong. I was fast. I was powerful. I could finally _enjoy_ life... and I had a brother to share it with.

When Jasper changed me, he did so because he was looking for a companion. He'd grown tired of solitude and was thirsting for excitement. Nothing seemed more wild than a bloodthirsty newborn. And so he created me. My former boss had the privilege of becoming my very first victim. I found poetic justice in killing one of my oppressors, punctuating my distaste for my previous human life.

Once my newborn stage wore off, Jasper began to attempt luring me toward his methods but I couldn't manage to understand them. I had been too accustomed to immediately satisfying my bloodlust that I saw no use in prolonging the process. I was stubborn in my ways in my early years, but I was glad that I eventually gave in.

In short, Jasper never steered me wrong.

For all intents and purposes Jasper was my maker, my father, but our relationship was more like two brothers than anything. Physically, we were very much alike. Our human bodies were both twenty four years of age before they became frozen by immortality. We were both tall, each standing at around six foot two, though I topped Jasper by at least half an inch. Our build was the same — lean with defined muscles, a stature that easily attracted members of the opposite sex.

Our eyes changed color from crimson red to jet black when we were hungry. The only real discernible feature between us was that Jasper was blond and my hair was copper. He wore his longer than mine, with shags that fell down over his forehead close to his eyes. I kept mine shorter and away from my face.

And of course, we shared a favorite past time. Hunting.

We were surreptitious and never caused a scene. We were about having fun, not drawing attention to ourselves, but we kept it fresh and interesting. Years on end, we drove across the country, coming up with creative ways to set the table. Sure, when our options were low we just killed some unsuspecting person, but they were fast food compared to the gourmet meals we took effort in preparing for ourselves. Being immortal, we had all the time in the world, so we opted to have a little creative fun as often as we could manage.

We used our lures to our advantage. Our good looks were premium bait and our shared abilities dropped the traps over our victims. Of course they were oblivious to the cages they had been led into until it was too late. By the time they realized the danger they were in we were already feasting on their arteries.

Arousal. Adrenaline. Fear. Those were the elements we played with. Instilling any one, or a combination of the three insured a really fuckin' tasty snack. Making our prey horny was definitely the easiest strategy, and the one we most often used. I could understand why it was Jasper's preferred method. He absorbed his prey's sexual sensations and it amplified his own. I was pretty easy, though. Anything that accelerated their hearts worked wonders for me.

In the end, we were basically living like Gods. We did what we wanted, took what we wanted and we were having a hell of a time doing it. Life was good. Life was fun. And the two of us were unstoppable.

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A/N: Comments are sinfully delicious. Treat me to some!**_


	3. Cashing Out

**Chapter 3: Cashing Out**

The soles of our shoes tapped confidently across the polished floor as we made our way through the lobby of the Borgata hotel in Atlantic City. We came to a stop at the lip of the entrance of the casino and peered through the forest of white ceramic columns beneath spider-webbed arches that trimmed the domed ceilings. The vast open area buzzed with patrons, coins dropping, and a cacophony of musical arpeggios of various gaming machines.

These were extravagant hunting grounds. Risky, to say the least. Normally, we wouldn't have even considered coming into a place like this. There were too many eyes here for our comfort and it was the furthest we could have been from assuming a low profile. But we weren't here to hunt. Not for the time being, anyway. However thrilling it may have been to flirt with our limits, our objective here was to win some cash. Robbing our victims only got us so far. That, and Jasper wanted an excuse to suit up.

Dressed to the nines, we walked in the direction of the card tables. Jasper winked at his reflection as we passed a mirror-lined wall and I couldn't help but smile. Yeah, we looked damn good.

We split up and claimed separate tables. A couple hours later, I fanned out my last hand across the green velvet table, and a pile of chips were pushed in my direction. I gathered my winnings then stood to leave. I had accumulated a decent amount of money, but not so much that it became cause for unwanted attention. We could have racked it up if we really wanted to, but we didn't want to be stupid about it. We each pulled in a modest couple grand and called it a night.

I was cashing in my chips when Jasper met back up with me. A toothpick dangled from the corner of his mouth and he leaned his hip against the counter. He cast a flirtatious look at the woman behind the glass counting out my bills, and tongued at the small wooden stick between his lips. She attempted to resist a smile but failed miserably and had to restart counting out my winnings.

"I'm hungry. Let's check out the buffet," Jasper said, turning his attention to me.

"Fine. Let me just get my money, okay?" I looked at him pointedly. He held both hands up in surrender and spun on his heels, then kissed the air at the teller before retreating toward one of the casino's bars. I was going to suggest that we leave the Borgata before hunting down our dinner, but he was already gone before I could bring it up.

When I finally joined him at the bar two minutes later, he was already engaged in a conversation with a cute redhead at a tall pedestal table at one side of the room. They were sitting very close, turned toward each other on their seats. Jasper leaned close and rolled the edge of a hundred dollar chip up her arm. She giggled as it made its way over her shoulder and back down her collarbone, where he then laid it flat and tucked it under her shirt, wedging it beneath her bra strap.

The speed at which Jasper managed to secure his prey did not surprise me. Once he turned on his charm it wasn't long before the women became puddles at his feet.

I abandoned the urge to argue with him and made a quick scan of the surroundings. The room was dimly lit in a deep purple glow, creating a mysterious and seductive ambiance. Slow moving turquoise light projections glided along the side walls. The main bar was encircled by a large oval counter in the center of the room, directly beneath a sunken ceiling that glowed with golden light. That's where I found my next target.

Facing me from the opposite side of the bar, a woman in her mid-thirties was sitting by herself, sipping her drink from a heavy crystal tumbler. She stared into nothingness, lost in her own thoughts, a pensive frown just barely wrinkling her brow. She was very attractive. Her dark blond hair was twisted up in a loose knot at the crown of her head, revealing her neck that was elongated by a plunging neckline. I couldn't help but stare at her throat for a few moments before I made my move. I stole a glance into her thoughts to determine that she was in fact alone before I approached, then rounded the bar and casually took the liberty of claiming the empty seat to her left.

"Scotch on the rocks," I told the bartender. I had no intention of consuming my drink, but it was easier to blend in with a glass in hand like everyone else, and two fingers of liquor gave the illusion that I was drinking better than a full bottle of beer did.

My conquest turned her head toward me and smiled. "That's what I'm having."

_I know._

I returned a friendly smile. "You have good taste..."

"Kerrin," she offered.

"I'm Edward."

I picked up my glass just as the bartender poured the last drop, and motioned it toward hers. She brought her glass to mine and they met in a musical clink. Essentially, it was the sound of my dinner bell.

We slipped into a conversation easily. I found out she was on a business trip, one of dozens in the past few months to be exact. Months of a mundane schedule had taken a toll on her, but mostly, she was plagued by insecurities over the husband she left back home on the west coast. She didn't tell me that part directly. It was a nagging image in her thoughts that clued me in. A scene of her husband fucking his secretary on top of his office desk was playing on repeat in her mind. It was the epitome of cliché in all its glory. The angry thoughts that veiled her subconscious were enough to tell me it was a memory rather than just a paranoid thought, and I bided my time to use my discovery to my advantage.

I let her catch me looking at her wedding ring, but I didn't say a word about it. She tucked her hand under the counter top and pretended I hadn't seen it. The action alone spoke a thousand words. As far as she was concerned, her husband didn't exist to me, and to some extent, he didn't exist for her either.

Personal drama. I thrived on it. It made my job a hell of a lot easier when all I had to do was serve as a source of comfort. She relied on me to remove her from reality. Little did she know I was planning to grant the request quite literally.

I knew exactly what she needed to hear. I wove my words to meet her specific needs, subtly personalizing them so she felt a deep connection with me. It was a practiced art I'd perfected over the years, but being able to look into her mind made it easy. I knew what she was going to say before she moved her lips to form the words. I used anything I could that would lead me to my desired end result in this game. But I didn't come across as predatory. I held back until she made the first move. And I knew she would.

She was craving attention and seeking revenge, and I was on a quest for an easy kill. It was a match made in heaven.

I tipped back my glass and let the contents brush over my lips. I parted them just enough to allow the liquor to lightly flavor my lips and tongue, then I set the tumbler back down on its coaster.

"What you need is a little excitement," I suggested after listening to her drone on about her plain-vanilla life. "Break the mundane cycle with something thrilling."

"Like what?" she gazed at me with intrigue.

"I know a few things that can get your heart racing."

"Oh?" A glint of mischief sparkled in her bright blue eyes and her pulse was already pounding more quickly over my subtle innuendo.

To tease her further I kept my suggestions modest. "Yeah, you know, sky diving, bungee jumping... skinny dipping."

"Well, I'm afraid of heights... but I do like the getting naked idea," Kerrin said.

_There we go._

I lifted one side of my mouth up in a calculative grin. "You should do something that would totally freak out your husband if he found out about it."

She flustered a bit at my mention of her husband who had not been previously addressed. She quickly recovered and grinned. "It's like you're inside my head," she said. "That's exactly what I was thinking."

"I'm psychic," I shrugged. "Go on. Try me."

She narrowed her eyes skeptically and bit the maraschino cherry off the end of her cocktail umbrella, then dropped the little accessory back into her empty glass. She spotted a stray deck of playing cards that adorned the counter between us and slid the top card from the pack with her middle finger. "Okay... If you're so psychic, what card am I holding?" she challenged playfully, holding the card toward herself.

I grinned. If she was looking to be impressed, she was making this way too easy for me. "Seven of diamonds," I said without hesitation.

Kerrin looked at me in amazement then she pulled the next card from the pack and watched me expectantly.

"Two of hearts."

"Holy shit!" she laughed and looked at the back of the card, wondering if there was some way I could have seen through it. She might as well have plucked a king and a joker from the deck instead. That would have perfectly depicted our situation.

"Okay, Edward..." She set the cards back down on the counter top and looked at me with a look that emanated seduction. "What am I thinking, _right... now..._?"

_You want me to plow you right here on top of the bar._

Ironically, a slot machine from somewhere in the room cashed out with its musical jackpot siren at that very moment, and I could nearly taste her sweet blood on my tongue.

Suddenly I felt a presence approaching me from behind.

"Hey, Cassanova. Can I talk to you for a sec?" Jasper's voice poured cold water all over me.

I spun around to face him. "What?" I bit with annoyance.

"Trade with me."

"What? No!"

"I don't want mine anymore. She's too wasted. Her blood smells like pure vodka."

"So find someone else, then!"

Kerrin leaned back in her stool. "Um, is everything okay?" she wondered, then looked at Jasper with curiosity.

"We're fine," I replied.

Jasper shot her a seductive smile. "Hi, I'm Jasper."

Kerrin returned one with obvious interest. Shit. She was already falling under Jasper's spell.

"Back off!" I hissed under my breath. "Get your fucking hooks out of my catch."

"Is that any way to talk to your big brother?" he replied in voice purposely loud enough for Kerrin to hear.

"You're brothers? Wow, good genes!" she chimed in, looking at us with fascination.

"Jasper was just leaving," I informed, looking at him pointedly.

"Aw, but you just got here," she said looking at Jasper. "I'm Kerrin," she supplied and held her hand out toward him. Jasper slipped it into his own and smiled smugly at me.

I knew Jasper was influencing Kerrin's behavior. She wanted me, but now she wanted Jasper too. And that pissed me off.

I stood up from my seat and stepped a couple paces away from Kerrin, taking Jasper with me. "Jas, back off, will you? You're going to make her leave!" I snarled.

"I seriously doubt that," he replied confidently, looking over my shoulder to shoot Kerrin a salacious look.

The worst part was that I knew he was right. I had the awful feeling that my efforts in talking this woman up were going to be wasted and I was going to lose her to Jasper entirely. Fucking Jasper and his ability to make women spontaneously combust in orgasm just by looking at them. Jackass.

"There's a whole fucking room full of people here. Why are you so hell-bent on hijacking mine?"

"Because. I'm bored and I need a _thrill_," he cocked his eyebrow. Jasper had clearly overheard Kerrin's and my conversation and was being a total prick about it.

I frowned and turned my head toward the bar again to look at Kerrin. She was watching us curiously, and apart from the fact that we were plotting her death, it was obvious that she was privy to that fact we were arguing over her. However, instead of being insulted she was actually getting off on it. It seemed that she was lacking attention in her marriage more than I had originally assumed.

Kerrin stood up from her seat and made her way toward us. Stepping between Jasper and I, she ran her palms down both our chests as she gingerly pushed her way past us. She looked from me to Jasper with a false timid smile. "As flattering as it is to be in the middle of this tug of war, I'd rather not be torn to pieces in the process," she said. "I'm going upstairs. Room 1209. If you're interested, you boys can share, instead. There's plenty of me to go around."

I felt a rush of lust followed by images of Kerrin panting and moaning as she reached orgasm. I wasn't sure if the erotic imagery was coming from her or from Jasper, but it was possible that it was even my own.

She turned and left the bar without another look behind her. We watched her walk to the elevators in the lobby and neither of us said a word until she got in and the doors slid shut.

"You're welcome!" Jasper said, seemingly not surprised by the turn of events. "You want heads or tails? Actually, you take heads. I don't want another one gagging on me when I deep throat her."

"I really hate you sometimes, you know."

"_Threesome_, Cullen. Three-some. Of course, I prefer two girls instead, but you're pretty like a girl."

"Touch me, and I kill you," I warned.

Jasper hooked my neck in the bend of his elbow and planted a kiss on my cheek before I could shove him away. He was giddy like a fucking kid at Christmas. "_Threesome!_"

In reality, Kerrin really didn't care which one of us showed up at her door tonight, as long as one of us did, if not both. She was only interested in getting even with her husband, but as long as I was going to be drinking her blood in the end, it didn't make a difference how I obtained it. I wasn't particularly fond of sharing, but I wasn't about to relinquish her completely to Jasper, and there was no way in hell _he_ was going to walk away from her racy offer. So, I swallowed my pride and went upstairs with Jasper to room 1209. At least this way I got to eat.

_**

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A/N: Comments are sinfully delicious. Treat me to some!**_


	4. Sinking the Eight

**Chapter 4: Sinking the Eight**

It was past midnight and we were driving north along I87. The mess we left in Kerrin's hotel room insured that we would never be showing our faces in Atlantic City ever again. Not that I cared. I preferred less conspicuous settings, anyway. A light snowfall accompanied our drive out of the metropolis and we found ourselves alone on the long dark stretch of highway. Jasper cranked the volume and sang along with the radio as the miles fell behind us.

He sighed when the last song ended. "I'm still hungry."

I turned to look at him. "Well, that's what you get for insisting on sharing a meal."

He smiled. "Oh, please. You can't tell me that wasn't fun for you."

"I could have done without you high-fiving me over her ass..."

A pair of flashing red tail lights suddenly came into view on the shoulder a few hundred yards down the highway, which thankfully distracted Jasper from our current topic of conversation.

"Oh! Fast food!" he exclaimed.

He slowed down as we drew nearer, and we discovered a middle-aged man kneeling down beside the front tire of his station wagon. No one else was in the vehicle.

"You take him. I'm good," I said. I'd had my fill of sharing for the night, even if it wasn't going to require foreplay. I could hold out a while, for my _own_ kill.

Jasper patted my shoulder in appreciation. "Such a generous brother I have."

He pulled the Mustang onto the shoulder in front of the station wagon and put it into park. Keeping the car running idle, he stepped out and walked back to the stranded vehicle behind us. I rolled my window down a crack, semi-curious about the exchange that was about to take place.

"Hey, there. You need a hand?"

"No, I'm alright. Just fixing my flat tire here. Thanks for stopping though, that was very kind of—"

The sound of a tire iron hitting the pavement cut the man off and reverberated in the air. The night fell quiet until the body slumped to the ground once Jasper was finished with it. He really gave a whole new meaning to the term, "having a quickie".

Not even bothering to dispose of the corpse, Jasper returned to the car with a satisfied sigh and we continued on our way.

The snow lasted a couple of hours and by early morning there wasn't a single cloud in the sky. So, we decided to lay low and stay in the shade. The winter sun wasn't as strong as it was the rest of the year, but it still felt like being stuck under a heat lamp to us. We could tolerate it if we had to, but after a few minutes of exposure it would start to get really uncomfortable. We tended to avoid direct sunlight whenever possible, and since we never slept, we made up for lost time through the late hours of the night.

In the summer it was easy to stalk a crowded college beach party at night and lure some random drunk girl away to kill, but in the winter it was a bit harder to find people just hanging around outside in the North-East. We were limited to hunting in random bars for the most part. On the plus side, there were always plenty of eager women willing to offer themselves to us in those places.

After we ate, we would keep driving, like we always had. We didn't have a plan on where to venture, we never really did. We drove where the road took us and we were happy with that.

One bar we found along the way, much to Jasper's delight, ended up having a karaoke night. He gave a sexually charged rendition of "You Can Leave Your Hat On", and had the nerve to purposely mass infect everyone sitting in the first few row of tables with his charm. The thoughts I picked up from that section were so filthy, I think even Jasper would cringe at them. It was pretty funny though, because Jasper even got all the men in the audience horny for him. Their utter confusion about their unexpected desire made them question their sexuality. It was fucking priceless.

We were driving through rural parts of New York state one night a few days after we left Atlantic City. It had been a while since we saw any form of life, but we did manage to come across a pair of hitchhikers to snack on. Jasper thought it was funny to prop them up against each other afterwards and position their thumbs as though they were still hitching for a ride. I laughed at his sick sense of humor.

Around midnight, we found a sleepy town off the highway and stopped at the gas station, thinking it would be a while until we had the chance to fill up again.

"_...and remember, Valentine's Day is just a few days away, so don't forget to let that special someone in your life know how much they mean to you." _The radio DJ yammered on_. "I'm opening the lines right now, so why don't you call in and tell me about about the love of _your_ life!_"

Jasper killed the engine, silencing the broadcast. "My love is feisty, growls when I turn her on, and she _loves_ taking me for a ride," he grinned, and stroked the steering wheel.

"Cute. Too bad Alice isn't an actual woman. Though, I wouldn't put it past you to fuck the car if you could," I teased.

"She knows I love her."

I got out of the car and went inside the convenience store to buy some smokes while Jasper filled up the tank. On my way back out I nodded toward the small bar just up the street. It was a small single story building with a red neon sign that read, 'Sharks'. "You wanna stop in that dive and see what's going on?" I asked my brother. I wasn't hungry, just more bored than anything, and also a little curious about what people who lived in butt-fuck-nowhere did for fun.

"Yeah, why not?" Jasper agreed, and hung up the gas nozzle.

After paying for the tank we drove a couple miles down the road to park the Mustang, then walked back to the bar. With such an identifiable car it was always safer to just leave it out of sight. That, and Jasper wanted to avoid having any drunken idiots knocking up against it. Hell, sometimes he gave me dirty looks just for shutting the door too strongly, I could only imagine what he'd do if it got a couple scratches on the paint.

As I pulled open the thick wooden front door, we were met with the typical soundtrack of a common bar; classic rock music, buzz of conversation, the hiss of bottle caps being twisted off. It was more crowded than I had originally anticipated, but then again it may have just been an illusion from the dim lighting and small size of the room. It wasn't very big inside at all. A few dozen small round tables were scattered haphazardly across the unpolished wooden floor with a bar that spanned the entire back wall. Red paper cutout hearts were taped to the walls for the upcoming holiday. There was one pool table, a dartboard and a twenty inch boxy television that was suspended in the corner ceiling above the bar showing a hockey game. It was a real dive. It smelled like cedar and whiskey but to my surprise, there was something else in the air that actually made my mouth water.

"Oh man, you smell that? It's incredible," I said to Jasper.

"Hugo Boss," he replied, lifting his wrist to my nose. I slapped it away. "I sprayed some on my crotch, too. The ladies love it."

I ignored Jasper's comment and breathed in deeply again, but I couldn't pinpoint the exact source. Whatever it was, I wanted to find it.

The crack of pool balls colliding into each other distracted my attention to the other side of the room. A pair of Native American boys were standing around the pool table acting like they were all that. I peered at them with scrutiny. They were around twenty-one or twenty-two years old, and looked like they lived at the gym. One of them actually wore a muscle tee that said "LaPush Body Builders" on the front. They were huge, but their egos were even bigger. They also had matching buzz cuts, probably to give more room to their fat heads. I despised them instantly. They may have looked intimidating by human standards, but their apparent strength was a fucking joke to us. We could have broken them like toothpicks with one hand if we wanted to, and to be honest, I kinda already did.

Gym shirt guy belched loudly as he pulled his mug of beer away from his mouth. "Nice shot," he said, congratulating his friend on his awesomeness.

"I've been practicing," the other guy replied.

Jasper and I both looked at each other. _I bet he has_, Jasper thought at me, then made a fist and pumped it up and down like he was jerking off.

I grinned and we made our way to the nearest table. Sitting back in my chair, I stretched my legs out in front of me. I pulled off my knit cap and stuffed it in my jacket pocket, then raked a hand through my hair as I looked around. I was still curious about what smelled so good. Whatever it was, wasn't far away, and despite my full stomach, I began to hunger for it like nothing I'd ever craved before.

The jackasses by the pool table suddenly started howling like wolves, causing everyone in the bar to turn and look their way.

"What a shot! Did you see that, baby? _Wooooooo-ow-ow-aaaoooooo_!" one of them howled obnoxiously.

"Ugh! What's with those two? There should be a fee for being that irritating," Jasper said, sitting forward to rest his forearms on his knees. I was glad that he matched my sentiment.

"The one in the gym shirt just cashed his paycheck. He's got at least five hundred bucks on him," I offered.

Jasper cocked an eyebrow with intrigue. "You wanna play 'em?"

"Eh," I shrugged non-commitally, not particularly fond of interacting with those morons. I was more interested in solving my own private mystery.

"Come on, I'm bored and I want their money," Jasper said, and stood up, already having made the decision for us both. He was on his way over to the pool table before I could object, so I stood up and followed as though I was in on the plan.

Jasper placed a small stack of quarters down on the edge of the table. "We're taking the table next. Unless you guys wanna stick around and make it interesting?"

They peered at us curiously.

"How interesting?" Gym shirt guy said, scrubbing the end of his cue with a cube of chalk.

Jasper reached into his pocket and pulled out a crisp hundred dollar bill, then with a flip of his fingers, another hundred fanned out from behind the first. "One for each of you. You boys game?" Jasper raised an eyebrow with question.

The obnoxious duo glanced at each other then they both nodded, accepting the challenge.

Fine. I'd play along. I was the one that wanted to come in this bar in the first place so I couldn't really complain. Jasper handed me a pool cue from off the rack on the wall and we made quick introductions.

Gym shirt guy was called Paul, and he broke, claiming solids for him and his friend, Jake. He sank three of them before he missed, then it was my turn. I sank two of our stripes effortlessly. I called my next shot and just as I pulled my arm back, I caught a stronger whiff of that amazing scent again. I lifted my eyes to the room and made a sloppy shot.

Jasper scowled at me when I missed. _Dude, what the hell? That sucked._

I paid him no attention. Instead, I kept my eyes trained on the very pretty girl with long brown hair and big brown eyes that was walking our way. As she approached, there was no mistake about it that she was the owner of that mouth watering aroma.

She stopped beside Jake and looked between him and Paul. "Guys, your tab is still open. If you want anything else Lauren will take care of you," she said, pointing to the waitress a few tables away. She then flipped the hood of her winter coat up over her head, sending a rush of air over in my direction. Holy hell, she smelled so fucking amazing! It took everything in me not to jump over the pool table maul her right then. I clenched my jaws and pretended to be indifferent to her presence.

"Aw, don't leave yet, Bella. How 'bout another beer, first?" Jake said giving her a slimy smile. I narrowed my eyes at him feeling oddly possessive of the girl.

"Sorry, I'm done for the night. Ask Lauren, 'kay? I'm going home," she replied, pulling on a pair of leather gloves as she spoke. She gave Jake a polite parting smile.

"But it tastes so much better when _you_ bring it to me," Jake answered with an annoying exaggerated pout.

Bella ignored him and started to walk away, but Jake reached out and clamped his hand around her wrist to stop her. Her body lightly jerked as he pulled her back toward him. "Come on baby, just one more?"

A light gasp escaped her and the scent of her fear screamed to me, causing me to salivate.

"Hey!" I barked at Jake from over the table. Both Jake and Bella startled at my voice and turned to look at me. _That's mine_, I was tempted to say... "She _said_ she's done!"

Bella yanked her arm free from Jake's grip, and she looked back at me for a quick moment before she hurried away, cursing under her breath. She pushed her way through the crowd and I watched as she disappeared out the door.

I didn't know what had come over me. I never played the knight in shining armor before without being able to use it against the girl. I was normally the one to eat the princess, not protect her from the big bad wolf. Whatever. I shrugged off the fleeting moment. What pissed me off more than anything was that the stinking mongrel touched my food, and that it got away before I could have a taste, myself.

Jake set both his hands on the edge of the pool table and leaned toward me. "You have a problem, pretty boy?" he spat.

"Yeah, stop stalling and play your fucking turn!" I bit back, staring him down.

The daggers in his eyes cut through mine as he peered at me with malicious intent. Normally, I would have been amused by his false notions that he could actually take me, but I was too annoyed about having lost my chance at what might have been the most delicious meal I could have ever experienced. I felt like hauling him outside and ending him, but the thought of biting him made my stomach turn. I'd rather suck on a used maxi pad than bring my mouth against his stinking flesh.

Jasper picked up on my irritation, but he didn't make the connection to the girl. These guys were annoying enough on their own, they didn't need reasons to be more so. I was so damned worked up about Bella, but I tried to put it behind me, so I channeled my frustrations into the game. Jasper and I kicked ass, and we won the cash. Paul and Jake bet double or nothing, which we ended up collecting as well.

Take _that_, jackasses. I shared a smirk with Jasper at _our_ awesomeness as he counted out our winnings.

Paul's temper steamed with his shattered pride but Jake looked as though he was ready to give up and leave.

"You guys played a decent game. I feel bad taking your money," Jasper said, laying the sarcasm on real thick.

Paul huffed then produced a small ring of keys from his pocket and removed one from the clip. He tossed it onto the red felted table top.

"It belongs to a cherry 2004 Honda Civic Coupe. You win the next game and she's yours."

Jasper looked at the key with disgust. "Please! Your car could suck your cock and it still wouldn't compare to my ride. There's no chance in hell I'd put my _classic Mustang_ up against that piece of shit!" he said, picking up Paul's key and throwing it back at him. "Stop embarrassing yourself. You lost, little doggie. Take it like a man or walk away with your tail between your legs."

As if that wasn't enough, Jasper egged him on further by starting to bark at him.

I couldn't help myself. I just starting laughing. That shit was funny.

Paul's fist tightened around his pool cue. I thought that he might actually explode or something by how he started shaking with rage. It was pretty funny to witness, and our humored expressions only fueled him further. Before we could find out if he was actually going to Hulk out, he stormed off.

"Let's get out of here," he told Jake in passing, still clutching to his pool cue. His hand may have been permanently fused to it for all I knew.

Jake followed him but not without giving me a dirty look first. The fucking coward didn't have the balls to say what he was thinking of me out loud, but I gave him a look that told him I knew what he was thinking, anyway. Asshole. Fuck him.

"That was fun!" Jasper exclaimed when they were gone. "Did you see how _angry_ he was? I'm still buzzing off it!"

"Yeah. Fun."

I sniffed the air in hopes of finding a lingering trace of Bella's scent, but it had already completely disappeared. I guess I just had to forget about her.

A few minutes later, we left the bar, and casually walked back up the road toward the car, leaving civilization behind us in a matter of just a few steps. It had started snowing again and the muffled sound of music coming from inside the bar faded gradually as we left it behind. It was silent as death for a few moments, then the sound of breaking glass made Jasper's spine stiffen.

"Alice!" he uttered with fear.

We both ran.

We found Jasper's Mustang completely totaled. Her tires were slashed, every window was busted out, the body was dented to shit. The hood was popped open and a pool cue was sticking out of the engine like a sword ran it through.

"Oh, fuck," I breathed and looked at Jasper. He had no words, but I felt his lividity as though it were my own.

Across the street, Paul and Jake were just getting back into the Civic. They were both sitting inside when they noticed us, but they barely had time to react before Jasper decided to inflict his wrath. After pulling the pool cue out from the Mustang's engine, Jasper barreled toward the Civic and jumped on the hood like a wild animal. He wound his arm back then violently thrust forward, spearing the pool cue through the windshield. It stabbed straight through Paul's shoulder and buried deep into the driver's seat behind him. Paul screamed. Jake freaked out and scrambled to open his door, then he stumbled out, landing ass first in the snow.

"Holy fucking hell!" Jake yelled as he stood up, watching Jasper push the pool stick deeper. Jake turned to run but I moved quickly and stood directly in front of him. He collided into my chest and whatever breath he had left was knocked out of him. I smiled sardonically as he watched me with a baffled expression, wondering where I had materialized from. I grabbed both his wrists, crushing his bones instantly within my grasp. He screamed in agony, and I yanked downward, separating his shoulders from the sockets. I pushed him onto his back on the ground and stepped on his chest with one foot just to hold him in place while he writhed in pain beneath me. I looked up and saw Jasper lean forward through the windshield and he fisted the front of Paul's jacket in both hands. Paul was still screaming in pain and he turned his head sideways to look at me, searching for my aid and sympathy.

"Help me," he pleaded pathetically, his eyes glistening with shock and fear.

"You went too far, asshole," I said, addressing Paul as well as the piece of shit beneath my boot. And with that, I stepped down harder, plunging my foot right through Jake's ribcage with a loud crack, killing him instantly.

Jasper ripped Paul violently through the windshield, allowing the glass to slice him to shit. His body slid up along the pool cue like he was a piece of meat on a shish kabob. Jasper turned Paul onto his back and slammed him across the hood of the car so hard it dented inward a foot or so. He slid backward until he was standing on the ground, then lowered his face over Paul's, meeting his eyes square in an upside-down view.

Paul coughed blood and cried. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he sputtered and groaned.

Enraged that Paul was daring to speak, Jasper dug his fingers into the gaping wound in Paul's shoulder, and tore sideways, creating a gash so deep that Paul's arm was barely hanging on by the skin. He wailed in torment and pissed himself. His blood poured rivers down the hood.

"Please. Please don't kill me!" Paul begged.

Fed up of Paul's voice, Jasper finally crushed his skull then threw his body from the car, followed by a scream that punctuated his acquired vengeance. It clung in the air for a moment before silence enveloped us again, and I was left staring at Jasper with wonder as he attempted to calm himself.

Paul totally deserved Jasper's wrath for wrecking his car. I had no pity whatsoever for the asshole, but the way my brother acted showed a whole new shade of darkness I'd never seen from him before. He was like a crazed hell hound and I wasn't sure whether to be freaked out or exhilarated by it. Even the snow seemed to be falling more slowly, like the air was holding its breath to see what Jasper would do next.

When Jasper finally lifted his eyes to meet mine, a twisted grin formed on his face and he actually began to laugh in a maniacal fashion. "My car _still_ looks better than his!" he said, then stuck a cigarette between his lips. It took a couple tries before his bloody fingers managed to ignite his lighter, and he cursed Paul's remains for continuing to annoy him even after his death. "I think I saw a garage back near the gas station," he recalled, staring at his wounded Mustang as he blew smoke from the side of his mouth.

It looked like we were staying in town for at least a few days. Despite the fact that we were stranded in nowheresville, I was kind of selfishly happy about it, because it gave me an excuse to return to Sharks. If I played my cards just right, I knew I could persuade the princess to serve _me_ her last drink...

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_**A/N: Comments are sinfully delicious. Treat me to some!**_


	5. Hushabye, Baby

**Chapter 5: Hushabye, Baby**

It was three o'clock in the morning. Jasper and I walked back toward the quiet little town, each of us with a large duffle bag slung over our shoulder. They contained all our belongings; mainly clothes, our cash and some toiletries. Thankfully, they had remained undiscovered by Paul and Jake in the trunk, and undamaged from their attack. We had pushed the Civic containing their corpses onto the tracks, and allowed a freight train to take the blame for their eviscerated bodies.

We changed out of our bloodied clothes before we reached what passed for civilization, then waited for the garage to open. Jasper didn't say much to me all night. He busied himself by replaying Paul's death in his mind. Usually when Jasper had something on repeat, it was to hide some underlying thought from me, but this time, I think it was more a form of therapy for him. He must have killed Paul five-hundred times or so in the span of a few hours, and each time he replayed it became more bloody and intricate as he thought up creative ways to disembowel him. I kept my mouth shut and let him play out his fantasy in peace.

At seven, the owner of the garage showed up and got a tow truck to pick up the Mustang. Technically, we could have just gotten another car if we really wanted to get out of here, but Alice was Jasper's baby. He'd had her since before I even knew him. Driving another car would be like cheating on her, and I knew better than to even suggest it. After Jasper had repeatedly insisted that his car be treated with the best of care, we booked a room at the motel a couple blocks down the street. It would be a few days, at least, before the repairs would be complete.

I turned the key to unlock room 2A and we dumped our bags on the floor. I sat down on the double bed farthest from the door, then looked at Jasper. He was on take six-hundred and twelve of Paul's death and still had yet to speak to me. He shut the door and walked between the beds, taking a seat on the other one, so we directly faced each other.

Suddenly, it was like a switch flipped inside him. He reached over, grabbed the lamp from the bedside table and threw it across the room. It shattered to pieces against the wall.

I stared at the broken remains on the floor. "I know the lamp was tacky, but it's not like we're staying at the Borgata or anything," I joked, hoping to lighten the mood.

"This is all _your_ fault," Jasper growled venomously.

I looked at him incredulously. "_My_ fault?"

Jasper stood back up and began to pace in front of me. "Let me give you a lesson, Cullen. It's called, _The difference between a good idea and a bad idea_."

I narrowed my eyes at him. I wasn't liking his belligerence.

"A _good_ idea, was going to a casino in Atlantic City," he continued. "That was mine, by the way. Now, what did we get out of that idea? Let me think..." He held his chin as he pretended trying to remember the outcome. "Oh, right. About four grand and a fucking threesome! A _bad_ idea — _your_ idea — was going to a shitty, blood-bag infested dive in the middle of fucking nowhere, that led to my car to getting murdered!" he shouted, and glared at me in accusation.

I stood up in front of him in defiance. "That's bullshit! I didn't even _want_ to play those guys!" I yelled back indignantly.

"All that money we won? Gone! 'Cause now we have to use it to pay for _your_ mistake!" he said, disregarding my defense. "That's the last time I listen to you!"

Jasper's irrational anger fueled mine, and even though I sincerely felt bad about Alice being totaled, I couldn't find it in me to bite my tongue. "What the fuck, Jas? If _you_ hadn't bragged about your car, Alice would still be in one piece. And I'm pretty sure barking at those guys didn't help your case. Don't put that shit on me!"

"Whatever, Cullen. Why don't you go enjoy this bustling metropolis of shit you've got us stuck in. I'm sick of arguing about this. Say hi to the rednecks for me," he fumed and turned away dismissively.

I didn't need this bullshit. I took his advice and left the motel room without another word so he could sulk by himself. It was much easier to deal with Jasper when he was being an irritating dick just to get a rise out of me. When he got genuinely upset over something it was like the end of the world — the one that apparently revolved around _him_.

I pulled my hood over my head and buried my hands deep into my coat pockets as I took to the street. I needed something to distract myself with but it didn't take long to realize that there really wasn't anything to fucking do around here. After watching the sign for the price of gas get changed and two crows fighting over half a donut, I was ready to add this town to my list of places never to set foot in again.

I focused on the only good thing to come out of this situation, which was having the opportunity to run into Bella again. The mere thought of it caused me to salivate. I'd been having more quick kills than usual lately and I was hankering for some seasoned blood. She was cute. I really wouldn't mind having a piece of that ass, either. Yeah, she'd be a hell of a lot of fun to play with...

I was lost in my thoughts about what I would do to Bella when I started to feel warm. I noticed the shape of my own shadow on the ground in front of me and realized that the sun had broken through the clouds. I turned and looked at the sky to discover there weren't any more clouds to shelter me. I weighed my options. Melting under the sun seemed a hell of a lot more pleasant than being Jasper's punching bag, but I wasn't about to let his temper tantrum make me suffer more than I had to. If he didn't want me near him then _he_ could go bake in the sun himself. Fuck that shit. Hopefully the hour or so that I was gone was enough to have allowed Jasper to cool down.

Ducking my head, I turned around and walked back toward the motel, attempting to shield as much sun from my face as I could manage. When I entered our room, I was prepared for more arguing, but instead I found Jasper hanging upside-down off the end of the couch watching TV with a goofy smile plastered to his face.

"You know what's better than Plinko?" he said without even looking at me. "_Upside-down_ Plinko!"

He motioned for me to join him. After a moment of hesitation I made my way over to the couch and sat down beside him. I swiveled myself around, propped my legs up against the wall and tilted my head backward just like my moronic brother.

We watched the round plastic disk bounce around the game board on screen, seemingly defying gravity from our point of view. When it came to a stop, Jasper looked at me in expectation.

After a beat of silence, we both erupted in together, and just like that, things were good between us again. I decided not to look the gift horse in the mouth. I was just thankful that Jasper decided to take his head out of his ass. And I had to admit... upside-down Plinko _was_ pretty cool.

After calling the garage for an update on Alice's status, we fucked around the motel room trying to find ways of keeping ourselves entertained until the sun went down. Around eight o'clock we were both getting quite hungry and since there was really only one place to go to acquire seasoned food, we headed back to Sharks for the second time. Being there again was strange in it's own, since we never revisited places we'd been before. It was like Groundhog Day. The same kind of music was playing, same buzz of conversation... only this time my spirits dropped, because the only thing I smelled was the cedar and whiskey. No Bella.

Though he didn't tell me to my face, Jasper intended to keep his actions limited to those least likely to backfire on him. Thankfully, he had completely vented all of his frustrations and we were back to being best friends again, though he was still sulking at the absence of his car. You'd think someone had cut off his dick or something.

I squeezed his shoulders then took a seat beside him at the bar. He needed a pick-me-up, but on a completely selfish note, I also just wanted to occupy him with someone else before he decided to snag the girl I wanted to go after again... wherever she was.

"You need something to make you feel better," I told him as I eyed the crowd. "What about her?" I nodded toward a young blond woman sitting at the far end of the bar. She sat cross-legged on her stool facing outward, and we both stole a shameless glance at her ruby red panties that peeked out from beneath the hem of her short dress.

Jasper's interest was instantly piqued and he easily fell back into his usual routine. With his elbow propped up on the counter, he rested his chin in his palm and watched the girl intently. When her eyes fell in line with his, he lifted two of his fingers up in front of his mouth and lewdly pushed his tongue between them in a sexually suggestive manner.

The girl gave him a look of complete disgust and spun herself to face away from him.

I chuckled quietly at her reaction. "That's probably not the best approach to reel her in, Jas," I said.

"Maybe not, but now I've got her imagining my head between her thighs."

I sighed dismissively, wondering if I would ever understand the way Jasper worked.

"Tell me I'm wrong!" Jasper challenged with a smirk.

I stole a glance at the young woman again and peered into her mind. Granted, I could have done without the visual. My lack of reply was all the confirmation Jasper needed.

His grin widened smugly. "The power of suggestion."

At least Jasper had a project to keep himself occupied for the night. My mission was accomplished. Well, half of it, anyway. About thirty minutes later I was beginning to lose my hopes that Bella was working tonight. I was tempted to ask if she was going to be in, but it would have been stupid to call myself out like that. So, I waited. It's not like there was anything else to do. Jasper had since then sat down next to the blond girl and managed to get her to warm up to him. I was alone at the bar, pretending to sip my drink, really not interested in hunting down an alternate. I couldn't get Bella's scent out of my head.

Luckily for me, Bella's name made an appearance in the disgruntled thoughts of the bartender as he wondered when his employee would show up. Apparently, she was late coming in, and I smiled to myself as I waited just as eagerly for her arrival.

A few short minutes later, Bella casually walked through the door. Her glorious aroma ravaged my senses once again, nearly making me undone. She was like a concentrated dose of pure pleasure and it was making me fucking high. I was already addicted, and I wouldn't give up until I'd savored her completely. I wanted her blood more badly than anyone's I'd ever craved, and the idea that I could amplify my sensation even more by playing with her was like icing on the cake.

She joined her boss behind the counter. He watched her like a hawk as she shrugged out of her coat and hung it on a rack on the wall, then he walked up close to her to speak so the bar patrons couldn't hear... but I could...

"That's three days in a row that you're late, Bella. I'm taking it out of your tips. Now get your skinny ass to work," he growled, then turned away from her.

Bella glared at him as he retreated to what I assumed was the back office. Her eyes were full of fire and contempt but what surprised me was that was _all_ I saw. If I was her I would be thinking of how much I'd want to crack a beer bottle over my boss's head, or at the very least I'd be throwing every profanity I knew at him, but her thoughts were completely silent.

The buzz of voices inside the bar made it harder to listen in on individual thoughts, but when I forced myself to concentrate, I definitely wasn't getting anything from her mind, and that completely threw me for a loop. I had never come across that situation before and it just made me more intrigued with her than I originally had been.

A trio of middle-aged truckers sitting at the bar directly in front Bella didn't waste any time ordering from her, and she had her hands full filling pitchers of beer for them while I stayed focused on trying to read her thoughts. She wore a friendly smile despite her confrontation with her boss only moments ago and even though I couldn't hear them, I imagined her thoughts were still sour. She wore her mask well though, and gave off a friendly and even flirtatious vibe as she worked. It stumped me as to why I couldn't get anything from her. I could still read the minds of everyone else around me, but for some reason I wasn't able to break into hers.

When she finished filling the truckers' orders, she made her way down the bar in my direction and stopped in front of me. She looked just as good as she smelled. Her long dark hair was tied into a ponytail that fell forward over her left shoulder. The ends of it brushed just above the word 'Sharks' that was embroidered in red across her black t-shirt just above her breast. My gaze lingered there a little longer before I lifted it back up to her face. Her eyes were rimmed with black eyeliner and dark shadows that gave her a sexy edge without being too dramatic. I smiled in approval of the encompassing details of her entire being. Fuck, I wanted to have her. So. Fucking. Badly.

"Hi," I greeted suavely when her eyes fell in line with mine.

She gave me a look of recognition as she smiled back. "Hey... You were in here yesterday," she noted.

"You remember."

"It would be hard to forget a face like yours," she said cutely, though I had to wonder if she was saying it just to get me to buy more drinks. "I'm more impressed that you decided to come back here. This place isn't exactly a hot tourist spot."

"My car broke down," I said, slightly bending the truth. "I'm kinda stuck in town for a little while."

"Wow. Talk about your bad luck."

"I wouldn't say that. The sights might be lame but the view in _here_ is lovely," I said, giving her a little flirtatious smile. That got me a little grin out of her, but it seemed a bit cynical. And that was just the thing... I couldn't know for sure if she thought what I said was charming, or if she was rolling her eyes at me inside her head. I wasn't accustomed to being uncertain where I stood with my prey, and it made me a little uneasy. I was going to have to play _this_ game with a different set of rules.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Edward."

"I'm Bella." She placed two empty shot glasses down in front of me and filled them up with Jack Daniels. "Here. I hope your luck turns around soon," she said, and lifted one of the glasses to me. "On the house."

I smiled and took it from her. She brought the other to her mouth and quickly knocked it back. I watched her head tilt back and eyed the column of her throat for the half-second it was exposed to me.

When she placed the shot glass back down on the counter, she raised her eyebrows at me. "What? You don't like Jack?" she said, noting the fact that I hadn't drank my shot. "Would you prefer something pink instead? Maybe with a little umbrella?" she teased. At least I hoped she was fucking teasing and not actually insulting me. Fuck, it was strange not knowing for sure. She was right about one thing though. I did want something pink. I smirked then downed my shot.

"You need a chaser?" she goaded again, probably having caught my ill attempt at masking my distaste for the alcoholic flavor. I actually could have used one, but it's not like they bottled O neg.

"I'm good," I insisted. Man, this girl liked to ride me. I just hoped it would be in another context as well. "So, straight whiskey, huh?" I commented on her drink of choice.

"It takes the strong stuff to help me tolerate this place," she said quietly with a knowing smile. "But you're helping a little, too. Most guys who come in here look like..._that_..." She turned her eyes to the end of the bar where the truckers were gathered and scrunched up her nose in disgust. Their long greasy hair stuck out from underneath knit hats and it looked like they hadn't shaved in years. Their pungent body odor was barely masked by the liquor they consumed and their yellowed smiles even gave _me_ the creeps. Her hatred of her job reminded me of a life I left behind and I could understand her need to dull the reality of having to work here.

Bella then leaned forward and rested her hips against the bar, leaning her forearms across the counter top. I couldn't help but let my gaze travel down the front of her shirt again. She was close enough that I could lean forward and taste her mouth if I wanted to, and she grinned as though she was reading _my_ thoughts.

"Gotta say, Edward, you're easy on the eyes. I'm a bit selfishly happy that your car broke down..." she added boldly, looking at me with her big brown eyes.

Wow. It was my turn to raise my eyebrows. It was completely new for me to be genuinely surprised by what someone said. It was intriguing. She was a little flirt, alright, and if what she was saying was really sincere, this was going to be a lot easier than I thought.

"Bella!" her boss suddenly called to her in a stern voice. Bella backed off the counter to look at him, then back to me.

"Gimme a sec?"

I nodded, then watched as she approached her boss, appreciating how nice her ass looked in her cute short denim skirt. I narrowed my eyes as I eavesdropped on their conversation.

"Do I look like a pimp?" her boss snapped at her.

"What?"

"Stop acting like a fucking hooker. We serve beer here, not lap dances."

"Marcus, I wasn't—"

"I pay you to serve drinks not flirt with customers. Keep the chit chat to a minimum, hear me? People can't buy their booze if you're not around to serve them. Do your fucking job or get the fuck out. You think it's hard for me to find someone to replace you? You're working on my last nerve, Bella!"

"Alright. I'm sorry," Bella relented.

"Take Lauren's section," he commanded, sending Bella to wait on the tables at the opposite end of the room.

Bella turned from him and gave me a defeated look then shook her head apologetically. I watched as she made her way around to the other tables. Her demeanor was visibly beaten down. Every so often she'd look my way, but only for a split second. I don't know why I cared so much, but it pissed me off that her boss stole her spirit. I felt the urge to spare Bella from the same bullshit I once shared, but it was a fleeting thought. What difference would it make since I was planning to kill her, anyway?

I glanced across the room to see how Jasper was faring with his prey. He was still talking with her, and she was picturing the same thought that she had about him earlier. I figured it wouldn't be long before Jasper was going to be eating his dinner, and I wondered how long it would be before I could enjoy mine.

A little while later, Bella disappeared in back and I stood up and pulled my jacket on. I went out the front door and rounded the building to the rear. Just as I suspected, I found Bella standing outside by herself taking a smoke break. Her hood was pulled up over her head and she bounced her knees lightly as she tried to keep warm. Her bare legs were covered in goosebumps as the cold wind licked her skin. Funny. I never thought I'd ever be jealous of wind.

As I walked closer, I smirked as I wondered what other parts of her must have become perky.

"So, your boss is kind of a dick," I offered.

She lifted her head at the sound of my voice and smiled. The fur lining of her hood shook in the cold wind.

"I guess I'm just prone to abusive relationships."

I frowned. "Oh, is he your..."

"Ew! God, no! I just meant that assholes seem to gravitate toward me."

Her statement caused me to stop walking short. I took a few steps backward and she laughed. That was a good sign.

"I didn't mean _you_. Marcus is _always_ a dick, and of course there was that guy last night who grabbed me." She sucked on her cigarette and rolled her eyes as she exhaled a cloud of smoke. "Thanks for that by the way. I mean, I was gonna knee him in the balls if you hadn't said anything, but I doubt he had anything between his legs, anyway."

I laughed then leaned casually against the side of the dumpster next to her and lit my own cigarette.

"I don't think he'll be bothering you anymore," I said as I pictured Jake's bloody corpse beneath my foot.

She just shrugged.

I adjusted my hat and looked around, realizing that I could easily drink from her right now if I wanted to. We were completely secluded, but I was too curious what she could offer me in a more intimate setting, and by the way she was acting with me earlier I was pretty sure I would be able to obtain it.

"So, is it a habit of yours to stalk girls in dark alleys or am I just the lucky first?" she wondered.

I smiled around my cigarette. "I usually don't go to such efforts," I replied. And it wasn't even a lie. Most of my kills naturally flocked toward me, but Bella was more than worth the chase if that's what it came down to. She was a puzzle for me. A challenge. A new toy. I wanted to solve the riddle then reap the rewards.

"A guy that goes for what he wants. I like that."

We became trapped in a silent stare. I had a feeling she was trying to figure me out just as much as I was her.

"That's my story..." I admitted after a moment. "What's yours?" I asked.

_Why can't I read your thoughts?_

"That's a loaded question. Let's see," she said, and took another drag from her cigarette before she continued. "I'm twenty-three, virgo, only child. My parent's divorced when I was still in Pull-Ups. I put hot sauce on pretty much everything and I only sleep well when I'm completely naked. Anything else you wanna know?" she grinned.

I returned one coated with a suggestive look. "Maybe a couple more things..."

She snuffed out her cigarette on the brick wall then peered at me contemplatively. "I have about a minute left before Marcus loses his shit and comes after me," she said, then licked over her bottom lip. "I lock up tonight... The place should be empty by three. You can ask me then. I'll leave this door open for you."

Bella pulled open the heavy metal door and stepped back inside before waiting for my answer. Was she cocky enough to assume I would accept her proposal, or did she even care either way? The ambiguity of it was unnerving yet equally tantalizing. This girl wanted to play games? Well, so did I, and I always won. I would accept her invitation to return later, and that's when I'd collect my prize.

I walked back to the motel but paused just outside the door of our room. There were noises coming from inside and I knew Jasper was in there... and he wasn't alone. It seemed as though he was enjoying the live version of what I had already witnessed in his prey's mind earlier.

I retreated one step before I heard Jasper's voice in my mind. _The walls are thin. Someone will hear her scream. Get in here and help me out,_ Jasper said to me with his thoughts. He was right, though. A person didn't need super hearing to hear this woman moaning from just outside the door. Luckily for me I was in a good mood, so I wasn't even annoyed at his request. The idea that I would be enjoying Bella later kept me in a perpetual high.

I quietly opened the door and found the young blond woman laying on her back sideways across one of the beds with her dress shrugged up to her waist. Jasper was kneeling on the floor at the edge of the mattress with his head planted right between her parted thighs. She moaned encouragingly as she bucked her hips rhythmically against his mouth.

As I closed the door and the lock clicked, the girl opened her eyes and they landed on mine. However, instead of showing embarrassment, she seemed excited by my being there. I walked over slowly and she blinked lazily at me, licking her lips and watching me with anticipation. She tilted her head back against the mattress, panting hard as Jasper worked on her. I knelt down on the floor behind her and she kept her eyes trained on mine. They were glazed over with lust and intoxication. With a devilish grin, I brought my pinky finger to her lips and lightly traced the contour of her open mouth. First her top lip, then the lower, slowly gliding along the warm, wet flesh. I snuck the tip of my finger past the edge of her mouth and let her suck on it a bit, just long enough to enjoy her thoughts of putting her mouth around my cock.

In my mind, Jasper started counting down from ten, warning me how much time was left before he was going to make a meal out of her femoral artery. I removed my finger and placed my palm flat against the girl's mouth and my other hand down on her shoulder to keep her in place. Her eyes adopted a look of confusion, then got wide when Jasper sank his teeth into her flesh. Her muffled screams fought to escape from behind my palm as I held her down. She passed out from fear and pain before her heart stopped and I released my hold and stood back up.

I slumped down onto the couch as Jasper ate his second course. Despite my own pang of hunger that surfaced by watching Jasper feed, I held back the urge to steal a taste. Not that he would have let me if I tried. Even though I helped silence his kill, he wasn't willing to share the meal with me, but I didn't give a shit this time. I had something more appetizing waiting in the wings, and if there ever was a time that I was willing to hold back to appreciate the best possible flavor, it was now.

Something told me I was in for the best tasting feast ever known to me, and the anticipation itself was making me as high as Bella's scent had. I couldn't wait to see how it would be once I got her all worked up.

Jasper sat back on his heels when he was done. He was a bloody mess. Sticky strands of ruddied hair laid plastered to his face. "Simply delicious," he said, and smiled at me with ruby painted teeth.

My thoughts exactly.

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A/N: Comments are sinfully delicious. Treat me to some!**_


	6. Bella and the Beast

**Chapter 6: Bella and the Beast**

Time never played much importance to me since I was bestowed with an eternity of it, but the hours until I was to see Bella again seemed to drag on relentlessly. I couldn't help but mull over the possibilities of our upcoming encounter as the time ticked by. To distract myself from the torturous anticipation, I helped Jasper clean up the mess he made with his last kill. I revealed my plans to meet up with Bella, however, I didn't divulge just _exactly_ how much I was looking forward to it. The last thing I wanted was for him to sabotage it in some way. I simply told him that I had hit it off with a waitress at Sharks and was returning at closing time for a late dinner. He didn't interrogate me further, and for that I was grateful. He sensed that I was famished, but he just left it at that.

At five minutes to three, I left the motel and walked down the street to Sharks. I lit up a cigarette on my way there and listened to the snow crunch beneath my steps. The parking lot was empty except for Bella's car. At least I assumed it was hers. I made my way around the building to the back entrance and flicked the rest of my cigarette into the snow next to the door. I had been paranoid of the possibility that Bella might have been bluffing about her intentions of leaving the back door open for me, but when I pulled on the handle I was pleased to discover that she had kept to her promise.

The door opened into a short, narrow hallway, about twelve feet long. Directly at the end of it was the door that lead into the bar. Beyond it, I could hear Bella walking around, possibly collecting lingering beer bottles or whatever it was she had to do. Instead of going out there to meet her, I peered into the second room to my right. The door was slightly ajar and I pushed it open just enough so I could slip inside. It was an office that I assumed belonged to her boss, Marcus. The small room was dark except for the sliver of fluorescent light that filtered in from the hallway. There was a desk opposite the door with a leather chair tucked underneath it. A tall filing cabinet sat next to it with a Sports-Illustrated calendar taped to the side. Directly to the right of the entrance was a long couch. I shrugged out of my coat and dropped it there, then took a seat on the far end and leaned back, casually stretching my legs out in front of me. I chuckled a bit to myself because it kind of felt like I was in a waiting room. I had to admit, this was the most anticipated appointment I'd ever taken.

Just then, I heard the door that connected to the bar swing open, and Bella's footsteps approached from the hallway. She accidentally bumped her hip against the doorknob as she walked into the office where I was sitting. A ring of keys fell to the ground and she cursed as she bent down to retrieve them. I leered shamelessly as her short skirt rode up the back of her thighs. When she stood up, she was completely still as though listening for something. Her back was facing me and I remained silent, curious of her next movements.

When she turned around a moment later, she discovered my presence, but she looked as though she wasn't surprised to see me sitting there. I was kind of looking forward to jump-starting her heart rate by startling her, but apparently I wouldn't be enjoying that bonus.

"Hello, Edward," she said with a smile. "Been here long?"

"Just got here," I replied, maintaining my casual pose on the couch.

"I didn't hear you come in."

"I'm good like that."

Bella tossed the ring of keys onto the desk and stood with arms akimbo. "Apparently so."

I eyed her once up and down. She had nice slender figure and the way she was standing really showed it off. Man, this girl had a wild effect on me, and the fact that I couldn't read her mind drove me crazy. She was definitely going to be a challenge.

"You're a puzzling thing, you know that?" I remarked, voicing my thoughts to her.

"Oh?"

I nodded. "I've been wondering about you all night, actually," I said in a hushed voice. "You really intrigue me."

Bella cocked her head. "I do?" I noted that she hadn't moved from where she stood since the moment she discovered my presence.

"Mm-hm. I mean, look at you... All alone in the dark... with a stranger you just met..." I spoke slowly. "You're not at all worried that something _bad_ might happen to you?"

She narrowed her eyes playfully. "Did you come back to kill me, Edward?"

I blinked, but gave nothing away in my expression.

Bella seemed unaffected by my ambiguity. She shrugged. "Hmm, well if you did, at least _something_ would be happening to me. Nothing ever _happens_ here. Good or bad, you think I give I a shit?" she said.

I cocked an eyebrow at her lack of self preservation and wondered if she was just trying to look brave. She couldn't seriously have been so indifferent about losing her life. She mustn't have felt like she was in any real danger. I was tempted to change my game and _scare_ her blood hot just to see if she'd beg for her life, but fucking the girl seemed a lot more enjoyable, so I abandoned the idea quickly.

"Why did you ask me to come here, Bella?" I asked her.

Bella adopted an amused expression and looked at me like the answer should have been obvious. "A girl's gotta make her own excitement around here. Let's just cut to the chase, Edward. I asked you to come 'cause I'm bored, and you looked like fun," she admitted with another cute shrug. She finally broke her pose and walked toward me until both her legs stood on either side of my right thigh. "At _least_ as fun as the vibe I keep in my night stand," she added.

My need to seduce this girl was apparently non-existent. She was making it easy for me to get what I wanted from her. All she wanted was a lay, and I had absolutely no problem with giving her one. The side of my mouth ticked upward into a sly grin and I tilted my leg until it touched hers.

"So, why _did_ you come back?" Bella wondered.

I leaned forward off the backrest and looked up into her eyes. "I was curious."

"About what?" she whispered.

"About what you taste like."

Bella just looked at me, and hint of a smile played on her lips. I could hear her heart quickening, and a familiar yearning began to brew up inside me. She already smelled even more incredible and it was difficult to keep myself from just tearing her to pieces. I almost felt like a newborn again with the way my urges screamed so intensely within me.

But I wanted a bigger payoff... and I wasn't going to lie... I really wanted to be inside of her before I tore her insides out.

I licked my lip and brought my palm to her inner thigh just above her knee. Goosebumps rose across her flesh but she quickly became accustomed to my touch as my hand absorbed the warmth of her skin. She rested her hand on my shoulder and leaned a bit toward me, urging me to continue. I slid my hand upward along her leg and crept it beneath the hem of her skirt. I kept going until my fingers met the soft cotton material of her panties at the apex of her thighs.

Bella's breath caught and she sucked her bottom lip under her teeth as I rubbed her over her panties. After a bit of teasing, I slid my fingers underneath the elastic band then buried two of them into her inviting warmth as far as her body would allow. She made soft breathy noises as I rhythmically repeated the movement, all the while keeping my eyes locked on hers. I secured my other hand at the back of her thigh where her leg met the bottom of her ass, and she began to rock her hips, countering my touch.

It had been a long time since I pleasured a girl without her thoughts guiding me on how to touch her. Girls in the past were amazed at how I'd known exactly how and where to touch, to lick, how much pressure to use and how fast to go. Sure, I was cheating, but it's not like they ever complained. Though I didn't have the same luxury with Bella, I'd learned a thing or two on how to touch a woman to make her moan, and by the sound of her shallow rapid breathing I was pretty confident I was on the right track.

Without meaning to, I realized that I had added extra levels in this game I was playing with Bella. Not only did I just want to drink her blood anymore, but it became a personal goal to get her off first by my own accord. To be completely honest, I wanted to get off by her too. I wanted her to keep surprising me. I was beginning to really love the feeling of it. Or maybe the feeling I was focused on was the warm, wet one surrounding my fingers. Either way, it was fucking awesome.

Bella balled her fists tightly around my shirt and I could feel her body beginning to climb toward orgasm. But just because I'm cruel, I removed my fingers before she could reach it. She gasped at the loss of contact and groaned in response to my action, clearly wanting more from me.

I brought my hand to my mouth, and licked the fingertips that had been inside of her. That seemed to distract her from her train of thought, and she watched with intrigue as I grinned at her. She probably thought I'd been satisfied to discover how she tasted, when in reality, it was another flavor that truly intrigued me.

Bella then took a couple steps back and reached under her skirt to pull down her panties. "What else are you curious about?" she prompted.

I stood up and grabbed her hips, bringing my chest right up against hers, then walked against her until her body met the desk. Turning her around, I set my hands on either side of her on the desktop, and pressed my pelvis up against her ass. My fingers twisted into her ponytail and slowly pulled the elastic band off to release her hair. It fell back over her shoulders and set free a fresh wave of her appetizing scent. I swept her hair off her neck and brought my nose to the back of her ear, then breathed in deeply. Her blood hummed just beneath the surface of her skin. "Fuck, you smell so good," I uttered hungrily, and teased her skin with the tip of my tongue.

She shivered. "You're a little intense, aren't you?" she noted, and tilted her head more sideways for me.

I wanted to be inside her. _Right now._

I unzipped my jeans and bent her over the desk, then lifted her skirt up to rest against her lower back, only to find the words "Kiss me" tattooed in cursive writing on her left ass cheek.

"I could say the same about you," I replied, with a smile in my words.

With that, I thrust myself into her, and Bella treated me to the sexiest moan I'd ever heard in my entire existence. Her arms fanned out at her sides and she grabbed the edge of the desk with both hands for support. Her fingers curled underneath the lip and I even heard her nails scratch along the wood. She wanted to get right to the point? Well, I gave it to her. I gave it to her over and over, and fuck, she felt _so nice_ around my dick. I uttered a drawn out groan of pleasure at the feeling and squeezed at her hips.

Bella dropped her right arm from the edge of the desk and pushed it between her legs to play with herself as I thrust back and forth inside her. Fuck, it was so hot knowing she was touching herself, but I also felt quite unnerved by it. Moving my hand over hers, I encircled her wrist and pulled it away from her body. Then I whispered into her ear, "I don't need your help to make you come," I promised.

She turned her head to look at me from the corner of her eye. "Yeah? Prove it," she panted in challenge.

I growled and pulled out of her, then spun her around forcefully to face me. I took her face in my palms, tilting her head up to mine, and crashed my mouth against hers in our first kiss. The hunger in her lips nearly matched my own as she sucked on my mouth as though she were starved.

I picked her up and pressed her against the wall perpendicular to the desk. Her legs wrapped around my waist and I dug my fingers hard into her thighs as I held her up. I slid myself back inside her hot, slick body and we cursed in unison as I continued to fuck her. Her arms tangled behind my head, her fingers raked wildly through my hair as her mouth continued to ravage mine.

Her heart was racing, her body was burning hot. She was definitely as seasoned as much as she could possibly be, yet I kept waiting for a more perfect moment to taste her. I wanted to savor her blood so badly, but something kept pulling back on my leash. I became greedy. I was convinced that Bella was growing more flavorful with each fucking thrust and I just couldn't find it in me to cut the game short. I gnashed my teeth together and took her more aggressively in response to my desires.

Then it happened. She came. And she fucking came hard. She swore like a fucking sailor as she rode out her orgasm, and that made me come undone, myself. I lowered my face into the crook of her neck as she fisted the hair at the back of my head, and again, I still waited for the perfect moment to sink my teeth into her flesh.

"Edward?" she said, breathlessly after an extended moment of silence.

"What?" I said, my lips brushing against her neck as I spoke.

"You can kill me now if you want to."

And with her permission, I bared my lips off my teeth.

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A/N: Comments are sinfully delicious. Treat me to some!**_


	7. On Borrowed Time

**Chapter 7: On Borrowed Time**

I faltered. For the first time _ever_, I fucking hesitated to seize my kill.

My mouth was at her pulse. Her heartbeat thrummed wildly against my lips. Just one scrape of my teeth would break her skin and spill her blood over my tongue, but my body forbade the action. I didn't _want_ to kill her.

Yet.

One hit wasn't enough. I wanted more. The high I got from Bella was so fucking incredible, and I was hooked. Her scent, her body, my inexplicable need to figure her out... All of it. I wasn't ready to let go... just yet.

I had a fun new toy and wanted to play with it a little longer. By her last statement, I was positive that it wouldn't be hard to convince her to let me. As unnerving as it was not being able to see into her mind, it was equally as intriguing to discover what was underneath the surface.

And speaking of underneath the surface, I couldn't _possibly_ kill her before I saw her naked...

I licked her neck where I had intended to bite instead, then brought my lips to her ear.

"We're doing this again." I declared.

"Shit, Edward. Let me catch my breath first."

Bringing my face in front of hers, I grasped her bottom lip in my mouth and sucked gently before releasing it. "Not _now_. Tomorrow. Go home. Sleep. I'm not nearly finished with you yet."

"That's ambitious of you," she replied.

"I don't hear you refusing me."

Before I set her down on the floor, I pushed my hips forward, driving myself deeper inside of her one last time. Her breath hitched at the sensation and I grinned smugly as I put her back on her feet again.

"Show off," she said, adjusting her skirt.

"So, what do you say, princess?" I said, zipping my jeans back up.

Bella rested back against the wall and tongued the corner of her mouth. "Are you asking for a second date? 'Cause I don't do relationships."

"Who said anything about a relationship? We're having fun here, right? I just want some more of it," I said honestly, peering into her eyes. "I'll be out of here in a few days, anyway. Why not have a little excitement until then?"

She looked so delicious the way she sucked her lip between her teeth while she deliberated. Her body heat radiated between us and I subconsciously moved closer to her, wanting to feel the warmth.

I watched her expectantly, waiting for her answer. I had nothing to lose. If she really didn't want to see me again then I would cut my losses and just bleed her dry right here and now. However, I was encouraged by the way lips curled upward with interest, and I was certain that I'd be hearing her moan my name again in the very near future.

"Alright," she nodded. "But I don't work tomorrow. You got a room somewhere?"

"At the motel a few blocks down. But it's no good. My brother will be there."

"Okay, then. We'll go to my place. I'll pick you up around noon," she said, then put her hand on my chest and lightly pushed me back. "Just don't go falling in love with me. I don't want to have to break your heart." She walked to the couch and picked up my coat.

I grinned. "Oh, I dunno. I think when the time comes for me to leave _you'll_ be the one begging me to stay."

"Wow. You're so fucking cocky," she jested, and handed me my coat.

I put it on, then pulled my knit cap from the pocket and slipped it over my sex-messed hair. "Say that word again."

"What? _Cocky_?"

"Yeah... I really like that word in your mouth."

Bella tugged on my hat until it covered my eyes. "Get out of here before I change my mind."

Jasper was sitting on the couch (right side up this time) watching TV when I returned to the motel room. He barely glanced at me as I walked in, but it was enough for him to realize something was off with me.

"Didn't you go screw that waitress?" Jasper frowned in confusion over my eyes still looking black.

I sighed and sat down on one of the beds. I thought it was smarter to hold my motive for keeping Bella alive to myself, so I made something up to keep Jasper from interrogating me. "I did, but her boss walked in on us, so I couldn't finish her. It really wasn't worth the hassle to slaughter them both, so I just took off," I lied.

"That's rough," Jasper replied apathetically. His attention had been drawn to the infomercial playing on TV. "Hey, does OxiClean work on blood? That last chick ruined my favorite shirt."

"I think so," I answered offhandedly, then sprawled on my back and stared at the ceiling.

It felt strange lying to Jasper. We usually bragged about our victims and the methods we'd used to ensnare them, but the thing was, Bella didn't feel like just a _random_ kill to me. She was definitely something different, something new and exciting, and if Jasper knew that he'd be more than likely to fuck with me. The last thing I wanted was for him to pull his usual shit and steal her from me, and there was no fucking way I was going to share _her_ in a threesome. Bella was _mine._ And mine only.

"So you couldn't find anything else to eat on the way back?" Jasper finally said after the commercial ended, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I turned my head to look at him. "Nah, but it's cool. I'm seeing her tomorrow to finish what we started."

"Well played, Cullen. You have fun with that. I'm gonna hang out at the garage tomorrow and keep an eye on Alice," he said, pulling both hands through his hair. "Who knows what these small-town dicks are really doing to my baby. I swear if she comes out of there looking less than perfect I'm going to knock out what's left of their teeth with a crescent wrench."

"Good idea," I said. I gave an internal sigh of relief at knowing that Jasper would be preoccupied tomorrow. I really didn't want him and Bella to cross paths.

Jasper was gone by nine in the morning. The clouds had invaded the sky again, making a thick cover that didn't appear to break any time soon. It was even supposed to snow later in the day, so I was pleased that I wouldn't have to worry about being uncomfortable outdoors. I tried to ignore the growing hollow in my stomach as I waited anxiously for noon to come around.

I grinned in satisfaction when Bella's car pulled up in front of my room at quarter-to. Apparently she was just as eager about our encounter as I was. Just as I stepped out of the room and shut the door, Bella killed the engine. I started to approach and was a little surprised when she got out of the car and slammed her door.

"That stupid mother-fucking son-of-a-bitch!" she shouted as she walked toward me.

My eyes went wide and I wondered what I had done wrong. Well, that she would have found out about, anyway.

"Um... Are we still... Do you wanna..." I pointed to her car, unsure how to proceed. I had no clue what she was going on about.

"I can't drive right now. Can we walk for a bit? I need to just walk. And scream... And break something," Bella griped, and walked right past me. I turned and followed her as she stormed down along the motel passing rooms 3, 4 and 5.

"What happened?" I wondered, genuinely curious about what I had to thank for boiling her blood. Her scent was extra sweet as she drifted by.

"Marcus just called me," she said. Well _that_ explained her pissy mood. "I let my phone go to voicemail 'cause I figured he was going to ask me to work tonight. But when I checked it..." Bella trailed off and pulled her phone out of her coat pocket. She dialed up her voicemail and put it on speakerphone for me to hear.

Marcus' voice played in the message: _"Bella, why is my office a fucking mess? The stuff on my desk is all over the place. You touched my shit? I told you to make the cash drop in the safe and that's it. If I find out that anything is gone, if a single dollar is missing, you're fired. The next time you go in my office it better be to get on your knees under my desk."_

Bella stuffed her phone back into her coat and exhaled loudly in irritation, making a cloud of vapor swirl through the cold air in front of her face.

I felt a sharp stab of possessiveness at Marcus' sexual derisive comment, just like I did when Jake touched her. I didn't like it one fucking bit.

"Want me to off him for you?" I said. "It's what I do, remember?"

She mustered a tiny grin. "That's generous of you, but I think I'd rather kill the bastard myself." Bella walked briskly with her hands stuffed in her pockets, and only started to slow her paces as we rounded the corner of the street. "That fucking jackass is intent on ruining my life. The guy is like herpes. I can't get rid of him. Even on my day off he has to annoy the shit out of me. I bet he gets off on being a dick..."

I just let Bella go off on a rant without interrupting. Despite what she was saying about Marcus, I liked the feistiness that resulted in her. She was fascinating to watch and listen to, and though I was anxious to get her back to her apartment, I continued to bide my time. There was plenty of time to play before dinner. In the meantime, I wove the web that would eventually entangle her.

"I would fucking love it if he'd just keel over and die," she continued, kicking a lump of snow on the sidewalk. "Then I'd bring him back to life just so I can kill him again. Over and over in every way possible. First, I'd shoot him, then strangle him, then stab him repeatedly..."

"You could drown him, run him over with your car, set him on fire..." I chimed in with a few other possibilities.

She grinned at my suggestions. "I could bash his skull in with a bottle of Jack, or cut the breaks to his car."

"Throw him in front of a train, put rat poison in his coffee, kidnap a lion from the zoo and put it in his living room..."

Bella laughed, looking positively murderous and loving every minute of it. It was highly amusing. "We'd make a deadly pair of assassins, you and I," she commented, and gave me a conniving grin. "Speaking of trains, a car was hit by one a couple nights ago not too far from here. Did you hear about that?"

"I did."

"Exciting, huh? Maybe we can go hunting for severed limbs later."

"Whatever turns you on, princess."

This girl never failed to surprise me. Bella was doing a hell of a good job giving me reasons to let her keep her breathing a little longer. The words that came out of her mouth were entertaining to say the least. I was also quite curious of _other_ ways she could entertain me with her lips.

Just then, Bella's cell-phone chimed. She dug it out of her pocket again and scowled as she read the text message aloud. "_By the way, if you didn't have tits you would be fucking useless!_" She fumed. Bella unbuttoned her coat and zipped down her fly. I watched her curiously as she dropped her pants and circled her arm behind her to point the camera on her phone at her bare ass. She took a picture of her tattoo then did her jeans back up again. "Kiss my ass, Marcus," she said, and sent the image of her lovely bare tattooed ass to her — now, _former_ — shit-head boss.

I started laughing hilariously.

"That felt _really_ good," Bella exclaimed, then she turned to me and fisted the front of my jacket. She pulled me toward her, bringing her mouth against mine. She kissed me fervently and I returned it just the same. If her scent didn't turn me on, her fucking spunk did it for me.

I cupped her face, securing it to mine. I really loved kissing her. Maybe that made me sound like a pussy, but my reason for it was nothing romantic. The lips had the thinnest skin covering them than anywhere else on the human body. By kissing them, sucking on them, I could manage to acquire a faint taste of what was encased underneath... what made them nice and plump and pink. Kissing Bella was the best appetizer. I loved the feeling of it.

When she pulled away I could still taste her on my lips. "Let's get back to my place," she urged with a tug to my sleeve.

About ten minutes later, we pulled into a reserved parking spot to a three-story apartment complex. Bella guided me to the basement apartment and shut the door behind us. She draped her coat over the top of a chair and kicked off her boots. Turning around to face me, she reached inside my coat to lift the hem of my sweater. Digging her finger underneath my belt buckle, she easily unhooked it then lowered my fly.

"You don't waste any time, do you?" I commented.

"Life is short. What's the point?"

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_**A/N: Comments are sinfully delicious. Treat me to some!**_


	8. Encore! Encore!

**Chapter 8: Encore! Encore!**

It didn't take long for my notion of how Bella's lips could entertain me to be realized. As soon as we got inside her apartment, she lowered my jeans and dropped to her knees in front of me. Taking my dick in one hand and gripping my hip with the other, she took me into her mouth and just started going to town. I think my eyes literally rolled back inside my head. As I clung to one side of the doorframe, the wood splintered inside my grasp. Thankfully, Bella was too involved with her task to have noticed the cracking sound.

This was completely new to me. Not getting a blow job per se, but being completely silenced to the girl's inner thoughts as she was sucking me off. To have a girl go down on me and hear nothing but the sound of her breath and soft moans was nearly bliss in itself. Bella was playing with me like a toy of her own and her mouth felt so good that I was having trouble picturing how I wanted to go about killing her. All I could concentrate on was her tongue... and her lips... on my... _oh, God..._

She scratched her fingernails downward along my thigh and shifted her grasp to behind my knee. I couldn't just stand there anymore. I wanted to touch her. I wanted to put my mouth on her body, too. I wanted to tease her flesh with my tongue until the blood underneath screamed for me to taste it.

I allowed myself to enjoy a few more moments of her mouth around my dick before I interrupted her. "Let's go to your bedroom," I said.

Bella got up off her knees and gave me a little grin as she wiped her lower lip with her fingers. She then turned to walk down her hallway, peeling her shirt up and over her head. She dropped it to the floor then unhooked her bra and tossed that aside as well. I just barely caught sight of the side of her bare breast as she disappeared into the last room on her left. Her jeans flew through the air and landed in the hallway, shortly followed by a sock, then another. Finally, a pair of pink panties topped the pile of discarded clothing.

Bella was waiting for me in her bedroom. Buck. Fucking. Naked.

Dinner had been served. I could smell her appetizing fragrance like a gourmet dish that had been revealed from beneath its serving platter. It was simply mouthwatering.

I dropped my coat to the floor and removed my boots and socks, then hiked up my jeans again, loosely re-fastening them as I walked to her room. As I appeared in her doorway, I found Bella sitting on the edge of her bed with her hands on the mattress at either side of her body, wearing nothing but a seductive smile.

"Delicious," I whispered, and surveyed her naked body like a lavish buffet. So many choices. Where to start first... Where to finish up for desert... Her neck? Her inner thigh? Her hip? I felt completely drunk with desire.

Bella stood up and came at me eagerly, lifting my sweater up over my head then dropping it to the floor. She ran a palm down the front of my chest to the waistband of my jeans. "I thought I took these off," she grumbled with mock annoyance as she lowered my pants and boxers at the same time. I stepped out of them and she kicked them aside. We were now entirely naked, with nothing to get off but each other.

Bella reached to kiss me, but I pulled my head back and grabbed her shoulders, then spun her around in my arms. I leaned my mouth to her ear. "Patience," I murmured, urging her to slow her pace. I smoothed my hands down along her arms then locked them around her wrists, holding them firmly against her sides. "The anticipation is the fun part," I teased, and licked the skin behind her ear. If I was going to postpone what I wanted most, then _she_ was going to as well.

"That didn't seem to be your mantra last night," she said, pushing the back of her naked body back against the front of mine.

I groaned at the warmth of her skin. "Trust me, it was... Now, just stay very still. Don't move."

I released her right wrist and slid my palm in front of her body, feeling the smooth skin of her stomach. Bella remained still, having surrendered to my command. I moved my hand slowly upward across her ribs and cupped the swell of her breast, then continued my journey upward. Bella moaned softly as my hand passed over her nipple, then I resumed my path across her collarbone and her throat until my fingers landed beneath her jaw. I relished the sensation of every excited beat of her pulse that vibrated against my hand. With my thumb and fingers on either side of her chin, I turned her head to the left and leaned over her shoulder to put my mouth on hers. She parted her lips for me and I pushed my tongue between them to taste her heavenly kiss.

I felt her body sink a quarter of an inch as her knees gave way slightly. She kissed me back slowly. Once. Twice. Again and again. Really _tasting_ my mouth as I was hers. I finally slackened my grip on her other wrist and allowed her to turn back around to face me. Bella encircled my neck with her arms and kept kissing me as I guided her backward to her bed and lowered her onto her back. I followed on top of her and rested between her parted thighs. She reached between us in an attempt to put me inside of her, but I took her wrists and pinned them to the mattress above her head. She gasped.

"_Patience_, princess," I repeated, with a wicked grin. "I want to take my time enjoying you."

Bella groaned, and squeezed her legs against my hips. "You are fucking cruel, Edward," she moaned, yet the smile on her face convinced me she appreciated my game. She arched her back and writhed beneath me as she got more and more turned on.

I stared hungrily at her beautiful rosy flesh that kept warming further with each passing moment. I growled in yearning and lowered my face to her throat, feeling the heat of her skin on the bridge of my nose as I nudged her head upward with it. She purred my name, begging me to explore her further. I lingered my mouth against the pulse on her throat, then I began my journey south.

I traced her collarbone with my tongue, and kissed her breasts...

_Downward..._

Licked her stomach and tasted her hips ...

_Downward..._

I brushed my mouth along her inner thighs...

_... and upward... _

"_Ungh!_" Bella moaned, twisting her fingers through my hair as I generously tongued her where she wanted me to most.

I pushed against the back of her thigh, and slung it over my shoulder to rest against my upper back. It wasn't long before her body quivered with pleasure, and she cried out in lustful delight while asking for more of me.

I didn't hesitate this time to yield to her request. I maneuvered myself above her again and pushed my hips against hers, driving myself inside her. Her surrounding warmth nearly did me in on the spot. She hooked her legs around my lower back as I thrust where my tongue had previously delved. Bella had just barely recovered from her first orgasm and she was already seeking furiously to uncover her second.

Her mouth attacked mine, her hands were everywhere at once. She pulled at me urgently, clawing at my back, arching her body upward against mine, searching for more. More. _More!_

The heat between us was incredible as we both clearly yearned for gratification.

"I might regret saying this, but..." Bella began. Her lips barely left mine as she spoke. "I just can't get enough of you," she continued breathily between kisses. "I don't... want this to stop..."

I could definitely relate.

I groaned in agreement against her mouth, and granted her as much of myself as I could offer. I pushed deep into her, and reeled in moan after moan of her ecstasy. I reveled in the sound as much as I enjoyed her sweet scent and burning hot flesh. I was fucking buzzing. Everywhere I touched and kissed, her pulse sang to me. Without our clothes in the way between us, as they had been the first time, I could feel the warmth of her flesh at every point her body connected with mine. I could feel her blood rushing back and forth beneath her skin and the overall sensation intoxicated me. Even without having tasted her blood yet, the effect she had on me was simply euphoric.

My high was at the brink of reaching its peak and I ached to quench my thirst. By the sounds Bella was making I knew she was going to come any second, too. She was ripe and ready for me to devour. All I had to do was just bite down to attain her sweet nectar.

And so... I did. I sank my teeth in hard and fast... but instead of her flesh, it was through polyester and cotton filling. Rather than biting Bella's throat, I had succeeded in decapitating the stuffed animal that rested against her headboard.

I never wanted a human's blood so much in my life, but I still wasn't willing to kill her just yet. It was official. I was a complete junkie for her. Her scent was like a drug to me and I needed my fix. If I killed her now, I'd never experience it again.

Bella moaned as she reached her orgasm, tilting her head back against her pillow with closed eyes. I gnashed my teeth together and rode out my own wave while Bella panted beneath me. When her muscles relaxed she exhaled a pleasurable sigh, then opened her eyes.

"Edward... You destroyed Mrs. Fluffykins!"

I raised an eyebrow and looked down between her legs.

"Not _that_!" She slapped the top of my head. "My teddy bear!"

I looked back into her eyes. "Sorry. It was either the bear or you."

Bella grinned and lifted her hand to my lip to remove a white piece of fluff from the corner of my mouth. "I enjoy a little biting too, you know."

"I'll remember that for next time."

Bella didn't even question my presumption, and I felt satisfied knowing that we _both_ wanted more from each other. What I was doing with Bella was completely gluttonous, which was ironic, considering I was still famished. This game was different with her than with anyone else. Her scent was so potent and intoxicating and she was just so much... _fun_. I wanted to keep playing as long as I could manage.

I rolled off her and rested beside her on the bed. We spent a few moments in silence catching our breath (even though mine was just for show) and then I sat up and put my bare feet on the floor. I turned my head back and looked at her with a roused curiosity as she peered back at me with her big brown eyes. What I'd give to know what she was thinking.

This girl had cheated death twice now — because I _let_ her live — and I wasn't normally one to release my catch. Perhaps it was just my greed that was keeping her alive, but maybe it was something else. It's like this girl had some kind of protective shield around her. It would certainly explain why I couldn't read her mind. The mystery of it all was part of what kept me so intrigued. Whether it was for personal satisfaction or it was an invisible force, I supposed it really didn't make a difference. Either way, my hunger would eventually put an end to my game. The only question was how much time I had until that happened. But when the time came around, I was more than certain that Bella's flavor would make all my efforts worthwhile.

Bella propped herself up with her arms and rested back against the headboard. "Let me wash up a bit and I'll take you back to your motel," she said. "You'll have to give me a few minutes though. To be honest I don't think I could stand up right now."

I grinned smugly. "Rest up. I'll walk," I said, and stood up. I needed the fresh air, anyway. I wasn't convinced that I wouldn't change my mind and give in to my craving if I spent any more time around her right now. My hunger was still growing and seeing her sprawled out on her bed with every inch of her body exposed to me was quickly breaking down my resistance.

I gathered my clothes and slipped them back on, then raked my fingers through my hair in a feeble attempt to tame it.

"You can find your way back?" she asked.

"I'll manage." I nodded. "Stay warm," I said in parting, and walked toward the hall.

"Hey, Edward?" she called. I turned around in the doorway and looked back at her. "Sharpen those teeth for me. I won't be satisfied unless I have bite marks to remember you by."

I flashed a smile. "You got it, princess."

_**

* * *

A/N: Comments are sinfully delicious. Treat me to some!**_


	9. Under My Roof

**Chapter 9: ****Under My Roof**

It took me a half hour to walk back to the motel. I could have walked it in less but I wasn't in any kind of hurry. The room was empty upon my return and I could tell that Jasper hadn't been there since he had left that morning. It didn't surprise me that he was keeping watch over his car the entire time. I wondered if he was playing it cool with the workers or simply being downright threatening to ensure his car got the treatment he thought it deserved.

I went straight to the bathroom and stripped down to take a shower. As I stepped underneath the hot water, the warming sensation on my skin immediately turned my thoughts toward Bella, and my stomach growled. It had only been a couple days since I'd last eaten but it felt like much longer. It was like my thirst to figure her out had amplified my desire for satisfaction. I needed to decide what to do about her. I hungered for her in every possible way, but instead of sating my appetite — which I had complete ability to do — I stifled it for the rush. It was absolutely masochistic.

I remained beneath the hot shower and leeched its warmth until the water ran cold. After getting into a change of clothes, I ruffled a towel back and forth through my wet hair. I was just about to brush my teeth when I heard Jasper come through the door. I stepped out of the bathroom with the toothbrush hanging from my mouth and watched Jasper slam the door behind him, muttering to himself about how much he hated this place.

Jasper took one look at me and saw that I clearly hadn't killed my prey. He narrowed his eyes in aggravation and walked over to me, snatched the toothbrush from my mouth, then dropped it to the floor. "You know, _blood_ works better than Colgate if you wanna get rid of that pussy-breath smell. But I guess you'd know that if you actually drank it after you face-fucked the bitch."

I stepped around him without saying a word, glaring at him as I wiped my mouth clean. I knew what Jasper was doing. He wanted his whipping boy. He was picking a fight because he was upset, but there was no way I was going to let him screw with me. I wasn't one of his bitches.

"What the hell are you doing, Cullen?" Jasper said as I passed beside him. "Why is she still alive? And don't tell me her boss walked in on you again."

I shrugged. "I'm just biding my time... Trying something new."

"What? Starvation? Apparently you've been feeding from your common sense, instead," Jasper barbed.

I rolled my eyes dismissively and sat down on the couch. "I'll see her again. I'm not going anywhere for the time being and neither is she," I justified.

Jasper took a seat on the edge of the bed across from me and pulled his Zippo lighter from his pocket. "So, let me see if I understand you correctly," he said, then lit a cigarette. "You fucked this girl... then you let her live... just so you can hit it again." He raised an eyebrow in question and flipped the cap of his Zippo open and closed repeatedly, purposely trying to annoy me with the metallic clicking sound.

"Uh-huh," I said, trying to seem nonchalant.

Jasper peered at me with scrutiny then shook his head. He took a long drag from his cigarette and slowly blew out a thin wisp of smoke as he contemplated me, then put his lighter away. "I might not be able to read your mind, Cullen, but I can tell you're keeping something from me," he said. "You've never been one to favor sex over blood, so it can't just be about the pussy... There's something _special_ about her, isn't there? There's a reason you're keeping her alive and I want to know what it is."

Fuck. Jasper was figuring it out, and quickly. I was beginning to feel threatened that my secret treasure was about to be uncovered by a pirate.

He leaned forward and glared into my eyes. "You're holding out on me, Cullen," Jasper prodded. "Tell me. What's so great about her?"

"Jas, it's _nothing_. She's a good time and I'm getting the most out of her. I'm just playing with my food," I insisted, but I knew that Jasper was picking up on my deviance.

"It's not a meal if you don't eat it!" he snapped. "You fucked her twice and she's still breathing! That chick is way past her expiration date. Just kill her, already!"

I groaned in annoyance. "I will! I will!" I stood up and walked around him again, trying to brush him off.

"What the fuck are you waiting for, a written invitation? What kind of vampire are you, anyway?"

I spun back around to face him. My aggravation was amplified by his own. "Why do you even care? I'm just having some fun while we're stuck here. Why are you being so fucking bitchy about it?" I snapped, irritated with his tone.

"Oh... Oh, you're having _fun!_ You had a _fun day_ today, did you?" Jasper said, and stood up as well. "You wanna know what kind of fun _I_ had today? _My_ fun, was having to watch inept, small-town morons bend over my Mustang and play with her insides like she's some cheap hooker. And _I'm bitchy_ because while _I'm_ making sure we get out of this shit-hole as soon as fucking possible, _you're_ jerking off playing some kind of fucked up asinine game!"

I glared defiantly into his cold obsidian stare as he continued with his rant and became more livid with each word he spoke.

"I'm fed up with your stupid ideas, Cullen," he yelled. "You're oh-for-two now and I'm putting an end to it. _You're_ the one that got me into this mess, so y_ou_ don't get to have any fun. Playtime is _over_. Kill the bitch, or _I'll_ have my own fun and do it myself!"

I was consumed by possessiveness at the very thought of Jasper touching my girl and I immediately regretted that I allowed myself to feel that way. It only took that one unguarded moment for Jasper to pick up on my emotions, and now he knew just how much Bella meant to me. Jasper smiled sardonically, knowing that he had me by the balls. The fucking bastard had manipulated me into showing my hand.

Then, like a fucking schizophrenic, his face suddenly adopted a friendly expression and he patted me on the shoulder. "Play nice, Cullen. Okay? Let's just... get along," he said, and gave my arm a squeeze. "Now go check on Alice before the place closes. Make sure they're not screwing me over. If I see another sweaty ass crack on a mechanic I'm going to murder everyone in that garage and then we'll never get out of here."

Jasper turned from me and sat lengthwise along the couch. He kicked his legs out in front of him and crossed his ankles over the armrest. Picking up the remote, he flipped on the TV and turned the volume up high, essentially putting an end to our discussion.

I stood there fuming for a few seconds.

"Go!" Jasper commanded without even looking at me.

So, I went... if not only to get the fuck away from the dictating jackass. I grabbed my coat and slipped outside, but not without having heard Jasper call me an insubordinate bastard just as I closed the door behind me.

The snow fell in heavy wet flakes as I went down the street toward the garage. I was tempted to blow off Jasper's command to go check on his car, but it was just easier to appease him with a quick visit to the garage than to suffer through another round of his bitching. I didn't know how I was going to avoid his tantrums if I kept putting off killing Bella, but I refused to let Jasper boss me into killing her before I was ready to. The only problem was that I knew he wasn't bullshitting about threatening to take matters into his own hands, so I had to ensure their paths would never cross.

I got to the garage in record time. It was only a few blocks away to begin with, but I guess my irritation over everything had hurried my strides. The double glass roll-up doors were lowered because of the snow and cold weather, so I entered the premises through the main entrance. A chiming bell signaled my arrival and the owner turned to look at me from beyond the glass wall that separated the garage area from the front desk. He recognized me and signaled that I join him where he was currently working on repairing the Mustang.

As I approached I was able to get a better look at the car and I was shocked to see the progress that had been done in just two days. Physically, the car looked nearly pristine. The tires and windows had all been replaced and the dents were completely gone. Basically, the only repairs left were whatever had been damaged in the engine.

The owner was the only person around. It seemed that the other employees had left for the day. The room reeked of sweat and engine grease and I was eager to obtain the information I required as quickly as possible so that I could escape the putrid stench.

"Hello, Phil," I greeted, taking his name from the embroidery on the front of his coveralls. I stood by his side. The man was in his mid- to late forties with a stalky build and grey hairs streaking his temples. He had dark circles and tired lines around his eyes which I suspected had been partly, if not entirely, contributed by Jasper's unrelenting presence.

"Hey, there. She's had a real number done on her," Phil said regretfully, shaking his head as he peered into the Mustang's engine. "Like I told your brother, we're doing our best to fix her up as soon as we can," he ensured. He gave me an apologetic smile and swiveled his Yankees ball cap to face backward on his head. He seemed genuine enough and his thoughts backed him up. If anything he was just hoping that I wasn't going to stick around to breathe down his neck like Jasper had. Luckily for him I didn't care how long the repairs took. I was in no hurry to leave just yet.

Phil turned to face me and dug his hand into the pocket of his coveralls to pull something out. He tossed a small item at me and I reflexively lifted my arm up to catch it. I opened my hand to reveal a Hershey's Kiss wrapped in pink foil at the center of my palm.

"Don't think I'm hittin' on ya or anything. One of the guys' girlfriends brought a bag of these over to '_sweeten our day_'," he said, popping a candy into his own mouth. "Your brother hasn't been making our lives easy today, let me tell you," he said in confidence, then returned to continue with the repairs.

I tossed the chocolate away as soon as he turned his attention from me. "Sorry about that. You're not the only ones," I uttered, not even bothering to make excuses for Jasper.

Phil sighed. "I mean, I get it. Nice car like this getting all banged up... I'd probably be the same way." He continued to talk as he worked but I tuned him out as he yammered on and on. I wasn't interested in what he was saying. I was only there to kill some time and to get away from Jasper. My mind wandered until the tone in his voice suddenly brightened.

"Hey, listen. I have some good news for you," he said, nudging my arm with his elbow.

His statement snapped me back in focus.

"I decided to pull in some extra hours this evening and finish up the rest of the repairs overnight," he declared without taking his eyes off his work. "I know this isn't the most exciting town to get stuck in and you guys wanna get out of here, so I'm gonna do what I can to let you leave. I mean, I'll be sad to see this beauty go. It's not every day I get to work on a '67 Mustang. On the other hand, one less day I gotta deal with your brother, the better. No offense. I mean _you_ seem like a nice guy and all... but... Anyway, come back tomorrow morning around eight o'clock and she'll be as good as new. Hand me that socket wrench from over there, will ya?" he concluded, pointing to a tray littered with tools behind me.

My hand moved toward it in a dream-like state as I processed what he had just told me. The news would have made Jasper ecstatic, but it only made me overcome with resentment. Everything that I just heard translated into one thing: I had a deadline. A deadline that, in that instant, I realized I refused to meet. It was enough that I had Jasper telling me to get rid of Bella, but now I had some piss-ant mechanic telling me I had a time limit as well?

Fuck that shit.

I picked the wrench up off the tray and tightened it in my fist. I glared with malice at the back of Phil's head and suddenly, I wanted nothing more than to bring the heavy tool down over his skull. I wasn't finished here. I would leave when I was ready to and not a fucking minute sooner. Fuck anyone who told me otherwise.

Phil turned around when I failed to produce the wrench quickly enough. He looked at me strangely when he noticed how tightly I was grasping it in my hand. I stared at him numbly. I couldn't even hear his thoughts. All I could hear was the clock ticking the time away.

"What's going on? You alright?" His voice sounded like I was hearing it from underwater.

I set the wrench heavily back down on the tray again and turned away from Phil before the bloodbath in my mind became a reality. I stormed out of the garage, knocking the damn bell straight off the door as I pushed my way through it. I had to get out of there. I wanted Bella. She was mine and mine alone and no person or amount of time would steal her from me. Only _I_ would decide what to do with her and when it would be done.

I groaned in aggravation and made my way back down the street. What started as a toy had quickly become a torture. Maybe I _should_ just kill Bella now and get it over with. If anything she was complicating things; making me second guess the world I mastered. This girl had infiltrated every fiber of my being, making me yearn for her until it hurt. She was creating a chaos inside me like I'd never experienced before, driving a spike so far deep into my reality that it was toppling over onto itself. Fuck, this girl was dangerous. And fuck if I was going to let that go just yet.

I was so far lost in my thoughts that it surprised me when I caught a strong whiff of the scent that had been plaguing me for the last couple of days. I looked up and realized that I was just across the street from the motel again, then froze when I saw Bella's vacant car parked directly in front of my room.

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_**A/N: Comments are sinfully delicious. Treat me to some!**_


	10. Checkmate

**Chapter 10: ****Checkmate**

Bella was inside... with Jasper. I felt sick with dread at the possibilities of what could be happening in there right now... or worse... if I was too late to stop it. I ran over and shoved open the door, knocking it right off its hinges. But instead of discovering what I feared I would find, I was met with an empty room. My relief was only short-lived. Bella wasn't there, but she _was_ very close... and so was Jasper.

_I had some fun while you were gone._

I tensed at the sound of Jasper's voice in my head, and spun around in search of him, but found nothing.

_Come up to the roof, Cullen, _he called to me._ I have a surprise for you. _

A dizzying array of sinister thoughts flashed through my mind and filled me with panic. But this time, they weren't simply my own paranoid suspicions; they were the content of Jasper's warped mind. He made it clear to me that Bella was in his possession, and I groaned in anguish when I caught the unmistakable scent of her blood. He forced me to watch as he had dragged her into the snow where he brutally defiled her, then finally ripped her body apart after having feasted on her veins.

"_NO!_" I growled in rage. I tried to shut out the vile scene Jasper so intricately depicted for me, but he wouldn't allow it. He had every intention of twisting the knife in my gut. Looping the horror, he played her screams in my ears and killed her over and over until it was too much for me to stand.

I was too late. She was gone... except for her desecrated carcass that Jasper was eager to present me with.

_I'm waiting..._

I stormed back outside and rounded the motel. I found the entrance to the stairwell that lead to the roof and climbed upwards, preparing myself to find Bella's bloody corpse wasting away beneath a thin blanket of snow. As I rammed open the metal door at the top, there I found her, about thirty feet away from me near the edge of the roof.

She turned at the noise of the door opening, and smiled at me.

I could only stand there and stare at her, dumbfounded by what I was seeing. She was... alive... and unharmed.

An image from my mind of her dead body overlapped on top of her like cellophane, and Jasper's malevolent laughter echoed throughout my head. As the door to the roof swung back, Jasper was revealed beside me. "Surprise," he said at my discovery of finding Bella alive. A snakelike grin stretched across his face. "You should see your face right now. Fucking priceless."

"You're insane," I growled venomously.

"Really, Cullen, you should know the difference between reality and fantasy by now. I'm disappointed in you," he said, shaking his head. "You know what your problem is? You're letting your _emotions_ play tricks on you," he sneered.

It was all just a fucking ruse; a fucking scare tactic to show me that if I ever crossed him, he would take everything I cared about and turn it to dust. He might have kept Bella alive but something told me he wasn't going to allow her get off the roof that way. I glared at Jasper, disgusted with the way he'd played me. He hadn't been treating me like his teammate, lately. Instead of being a player, I had become a pawn his own personal game.

"Don't you fucking touch her," I rasped.

"Well, that's entirely up to you," he answered back, then turned his head to smile at Bella who had started walking toward us.

"There you are. Your brother told me you'd be up on the roof," she said. She clearly hadn't heard any of Jasper's and my exchange. "Looks like someone grows their own pot up here," she remarked, pointing to the small greenhouse at the center of the roof. "I'm definitely coming back in the summer to steal some of it."

Suddenly, the shock of seeing Bella alive was overpowered by the potent scent of freshly spilled blood in the air. Hers...

_That_ much of Jasper's gory display was actually true.

My gaze traveled down to her right hand where I noticed that several raw scrapes graced the center of her palm. Her blood stained the fresh wound and the powerful scent ravaged me.

She stopped walking when she noticed my unsettled reaction to it, and closed her fist. "Oh... The stupid handrail in the stairwell cut me," she said with a huff. "I'll probably need a tetanus shot now. It better not leave a fucking scar. The blood doesn't make you queasy, does it?"

I swallowed back my sudden rush of desire and shook my head in response to her question, unable to answer her verbally. I was a slave to spilled blood. Every vampire was. It took extreme discipline to resist it and the fact that Jasper had not already attacked Bella because of it was a mystery in its own.

Jasper leaned in close and rested his forearm on my shoulder. "Tempting, huh?" he said, speaking lowly so that Bella could not hear. We both got caught in a momentary trance as we stared at her hand. "It actually _hurts_ to keep from mauling her, doesn't it? Go ahead, Cullen. You're starving. Take a bite."

I blinked. I shrugged out from under him and cut him a glare of hatred. So that was it. He was using her as bait; purposely dangling her in front of me like a piece of bloody meat for a hungry lion. As far as Jasper was concerned, my procrastination with killing her had gone too far. My actions had gone against his almighty rule book and now he was intent on bitch slapping me with it.

I forced myself to resist breathing in the scent of the blood so I could suppress my innate desire to attack her. I wasn't going to let Jasper get his way. Killing Bella would be on _my_ timetable, not his.

Jasper noted my reluctance with a sigh. He casually sauntered out in front of me and stood between Bella and I who were still separated by about fifteen feet. "Beautiful evening, isn't it?" He came to a stand-still and turned his face to the sky. He smiled as the snow fell down around him. "A rooftop at twilight, snow falling, hormones _raging_..." His eyes lowered to meet my glare. "It's the perfect setting for a romantic dinner, wouldn't you say, Cullen?" Jasper goaded. "Why wait for Valentine's Day to stop a girl's heart?"

I ignored him and set my jaws tightly, turning my attention to Bella. She wore a confused expression, not knowing what to make of Jasper's comment. "What are you doing here?" I asked her.

She took another step closer but Jasper stealthily retained his position directly between her and I. "I just wanted to see you," she replied with a shrug. Jesus, her fucking timing was disastrous.

Jasper grinned, amused with her reply. _How cute,_ he thought._ She really meant, '_do_ you'. That chick is so wet right now I can taste her cunt from here._

I growled in warning, despising where his thoughts had headed. All I wanted was to place myself between him and Bella, but I knew the second I attempted it, Jasper would pull the trigger and end her for good. It was like walking in a mine field. One wrong move would set him off.

Even without breathing it, Bella's blood was tempting me. Just knowing it was out there was fucking with my brain. I seriously needed to get it together and find a solution to get her away from Jasper.

_Don't even think about it_, Jasper thought, sensing my apprehension. _If you try getting her off this roof, I'll rip her throat out._

"Okay, what's this weirdness going on between you two?" Bella wondered. "You kinda look like you want to kill each other."

"You shouldn't have come here, Bella," I said, still glaring at Jasper. I didn't dare take my eyes off him for one second.

"Why not?"

Jasper turned to look at her. "Edward is worried that I'm going to steal you away from him," he spoke casually. "I'm not going to lie, though. If he hadn't shown up I'd already be inside you making you scream."

Bella froze and her smile vanished completely with Jasper's remark. "Hello, Creepy," she uttered in disgust then looked at me. "Is this guy for real?"

"But that _is_ what you came here for, right?" Jasper continued before I could say anything. "To sit on some cock?"

"Jas! Back, the _fuck,_ _OFF_!" I snarled.

He spun back around to face me again. "Why? I say we give her what she came for. What do you say, Cullen? Heads or tails? I'll even let you chose this time."

I clenched my teeth together. "Bella, go back downstairs!" I ordered her.

"_Nobody_ is going _anywhere!_" Jasper insisted aggressively, staring me down.

I picked up on the elevated tempo of Bella's heartbeats. She was playing tough but inside she was definitely quaking. Her heart was drumming wildly in her chest and more than a small part of me relished in the sound of it. I had to shake myself back into focus. "Bella, _GO!_" I demanded a second time.

Bella heeded to my command and began to walk around us toward the stairwell. But Jasper moved quickly to block her escape and was directly in front of her in a flash. Startled by the impossibility of his quick movements, Bella slipped and lost her footing, landing on her ass in the snow. She looked up at him, perplexed.

Jasper inhaled a deep breath as he grinned back down at her. "Mmm, you smell that, Cullen? _Fear_. You're right, she _does_ smell delicious."

"I believe what you're smelling is my complete and utter repulsion, you fucking jackass!" Bella spat.

Jasper laughed wholeheartedly. "Ooh, I _like_ her! She's a feisty one! I bet she's a wildcat in bed. Aren't you, darlin'?"

"Fuck you!"

"With pleasure."

Bella backed away from him and managed to find her footing again, and I rushed to put myself between them. "I _said_, don't fucking touch her!" I lunged to grab Jasper's throat, but he blocked me and knocked my arm aside. Instead, he caught my collar in his fist and twisted my shirt, bringing my face closer to his.

"Watch yourself, boy. You're skating on thin ice," Jasper growled through gnashed teeth.

He then forcefully shoved me backwards, sending me careening straight into Bella. The impact knocked her about ten feet back, right up against the low wall that surrounded the edge of the roof. The back of her head struck hard against the bricks and she slumped unconsciously to the ground.

I turned toward her and discovered that she was still breathing, then turned back around to shield her from Jasper. He was still standing at a distance, peering at me through the curtain of falling snow with a hatred in his eyes that mirrored my sentiment.

"You piece of sh—"

"Shut it!," Jasper cut me off, uninterested with my opinion of him. He shook his head and continued to glare at me with disapproval. "I don't even recognize you anymore... Edward Cullen... From impatient newborn who would do anything for blood, to an impotent _fool_ who refuses to feed. This goes way beyond playing with your food, Cullen. It's not healthy."

"I appreciate your concern for my well-being. It's really touching," I replied sarcastically.

Jasper cocked his head and glowered. "You know what that girl over there is?" he asked, pointing behind me at Bella. "She's poison. She's messing with your mind. She already has you starving yourself, and for what? So you can keep using her as a masturbation aid? Get your head out of your ass, Cullen and kill her already. Yoko's got you pussy-whipped!"

"You sound like a fucking lunatic."

"How long were you planning on keeping this up, huh? What exactly did you plan to do with her? Keep her as your pet?" Jasper shouted. Then his expression lightened as an idea crossed his mind. "Although... maybe you're onto something. I kind of like that idea. Yeah... We can keep her in the trunk... take turns _fucking_ her..."

Jasper assaulted my mind with an image of him fucking Bella over the hood of his Mustang, making her moan his name until I cringed.

"I'm _not_ sharing her," I asserted, trying to force the images from my mind.

He grinned in amusement and took a step forward. I instinctively backed up a pace as well to protect what was mine.

Jasper scoffed. "Relax, Cullen. I'm not going to kill her... _You_ are," he said matter-of-factly, and took another step my way. "Because I _said_ so."

"I'm sick of your fucking bullshit, Jas. You don't _own_ me. You can force all the bitches you want into submission but I'm not one of them."

Jasper's lip twisted upward. "That's cute," he patronized.

Then suddenly, he sprung at me and I was face-down in the snow before I could react. I struggled with him but he kept me pinned, digging his knee between my shoulders. Jasper grabbed a fistful of my hair to lift my head, and he pointed my face toward Bella who was only a few feet away. Her limp right arm rested beside her with her wounded hand splayed open in invitation right before me.

"I don't think you're hearing me properly, Cullen," he rasped, his voice loud next to my ear. "Wake the fuck up and remember who fucking _made_ you. _Me_. _My_ game. _My_ rules. I get what I want, and I want her gone. _NOW!_"

My anger reached its boiling point, but just as I was about to channel my rage to throw him off me, my fury unnaturally dissipated. It was like I was shot with a high dose of valium and I instantly felt myself becoming calm. Jasper was trying another angle by tranquilizing me with his ability. It was a dirty move, I knew _that_ much before I suddenly wasn't even sure that I cared. The relief from the tension was oddly therapeutic and I even found myself inhaling a deep soothing breath... and with it, I took in the intoxicating aroma of Bella's blood.

Tricked again. I stared at her open hand, bloody and delicious... my mouth watering.

Jasper felt my submission and loosened his hold around me. "Take her," he spoke calmly. "You want her so badly, I can feel it. Surrender to it, Cullen. You're only torturing yourself by refusing her."

It _had_ felt like torture. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing for Jasper to insist that I kill her now. Maybe this was just the perfect time to seize the innevitable. I always knew that Bella was going to die by my hand eventually. Better now, this way, than to have Jasper get his hands on her.

I felt my body edge forward, unable to resist the magnetic pull.

"That's it..." Jasper said, satisfied with my reaction. He released me completely and I slid out from beneath him, then stalked toward my prey on my hands and knees until my face was right above it.

I breathed in another deep breath and felt the pain of my hunger and desire like a sharp sword tear through my stomach. I didn't want to resist her any longer.

"Do it," Jasper urged in anticipation.

Jasper could make of it what he wanted, but I was ultimately following _my_ desire, not his. It was _her blood_ that was my undoing, and I would _never_ let her escape my grasp.

I knelt down next to Bella and lifted her arm. Bringing her hand to my mouth, I curled her fingers back and licked the center of her palm, finally tasting the flavor I had craved since I first captured her irresistible aroma. I uttered a groan of pleasure and lapped at the blood again. Slowly and meticulously, I swept my tongue across her wound, enjoying the taste of what warmed her veins. That's when Bella began to stir awake. My saliva on her open wound had created a stinging fire that was quickly spreading throughout her entire body as it infected her blood. She whimpered in pain before her eyes even opened.

"My hand..." she cried softly and her eyes finally fluttered open. Her pulse picked up considerably with fear at the discovery of her intense discomfort. She closed her fist as the hurt intensified and peered confusedly into my eyes. "What's happening?" she said, nearly breathless from the pain.

I released her hand to push the hair away from her neck, and gave her a drunken smile. "I'm giving you your bite marks," I replied, then lowered my mouth to her throat and finally sank my teeth through her flesh without further hesitation. At long last, I drew her blood into my mouth and swallowed with a groan as its warmth coated my throat. The euphoria was astounding. My suspicions had been right. Her flavor surpassed anything I'd ever experienced before.

Bella tightened her bloody fist at the front of my coat, and pulled me toward herself. Her cries resembled the ones she had previously uttered in pleasure. She arched upward against my chest and I slung my arm behind her back to hold her closer against me. I lifted my mouth from her neck and tilted my head to the other side, then I placed an identical bite to the opposite side of her throat and savored her once again.

I felt her fingers comb into the hair at the back of my head, and I pulled back to look into her eyes. I licked the sticky remnants from my lips and watched as she trembled. She puzzled me again by giving me a quizzical smile despite her pain.

I got caught in a trance staring into her brown eyes. She was dying. Her life was slipping away and I was _still_ struggling with the desire to keep her.

This was ridiculous... It had to end.

Curious about why I had stalled, Jasper approach from behind. He had been enjoying the show and was now salivating for the climax.

"Finish it!" he urged, his tone full of expectation.

Jasper was right. The torment had gone on long enough. It was time to put an end to it.

Quicker than I'd ever moved before, I released Bella from my arms, spun around, and launched myself at Jasper. Before he could even realize I had attacked him, I bit into his throat so deeply that his head separated right from his body. His limp frame dropped heavily to the ground. I fell down over it and violently slashed away at it until there was nothing left to dismember.

"_MINE!_" I growled as I obliterated him.

Jasper was gone for good. He was unable to dictate my actions any further. I was able to perfectly feel my own emotions again, and my vengeance was just as sweet as Bella's blood. I was determined to keep her. I _refused_ to let her go. _No one_ would ever take her from me... even myself.

I found Jasper's Zippo in the snow and I palmed it inside my hand, then sat down. Reaching inside my coat, I found my cigarettes and set one ablaze, then tossed the flaming Zippo onto Jasper's scattered remains.

I turned my head back toward Bella who was still writing in pain. Her eyes were shut tightly and her whimpers were subdued despite the agony I knew she was in. I sucked on my cigarette and blew the smoke out slowly, a twinge of a smile crossing my face. I had obtained what I ultimately craved from her, but it wouldn't be the end. Bella's transformation had begun the moment I licked her wound, and I had not drunk enough of her to kill her. Eventually her heart would stop, but she would continue to live... like me. No amount of time could ever take her from me now. Until the day she should decide to kill me, herself... Bella was mine to enjoy.

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_**A/N: Epilogue to follow.**_

_**Comments are sinfully delicious. Treat me to some!**_


	11. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

_**Three days later...**_

The fluorescent light bar flickered above my head. It hummed and popped sporadically for a few more minutes until it finally died, leaving the room dark except for the white moonlight that shined through the window. A stream of blood inched across the cheap linoleum floor toward me and I took a step back before it could stain my boot. Bella, on the other hand, hadn't been concerned in the least with getting blood on herself.

"You're a mess," I commented, humored and aroused by the sight her. She knelt on the floor with blood smeared across practically every inch of her face, neck, arms and hands. Human or vampire alike, it seemed that every newborn looked the same after enjoying their first meal.

She stood to her feet and smiled wickedly. "Now, _that_ was fun!" she remarked, licking the blood from the tips her fingers.

I nodded, remembering how I felt when I killed my _own_ boss. "Refreshing, right?"

"Mm-hm," she replied. "That dick-head should have thought twice before suggesting I suck him dry." She peered down at Marcus' corpse with a quizzical expression. "So, is he going to be a vampire too, now?" she asked me.

I stifled a laugh. "Uh, no. You already stopped his heart... wherever it is," I answered, noting the empty cavity in Marcus' chest.

"Pity. I was really looking forward to killing him again," Bella pouted, tucking a lock of bloodied hair behind her ear. "Then again, I still know a lot of assholes begging for payback... This vamp thing is going to come in handy!" she noted, cunningly.

I released a chuckle and paused for a moment to simply look at her. I grinned in admiration at the beautiful creature I had created. I'd never seen anything so fucking sexy in my entire life. She was fun _before_ her transformation... as a vampire, Bella was proving to be even more entertaining than I could have ever imagined. She accepted her new life with open arms, and to watch her relish in the benefits was highly satisfying.

I took a step to close the distance between us and grasped her hips. "What do you want to do now, princess?"

Bella lifted her hands and placed them on either side of my face over my temples. She peered deeply into my eyes as a devilish grin crossed her face.

_I want to fuck your brains out,_ I heard her voice in my mind for the first time.

I startled at the sound. Bella didn't seem aware that anything peculiar had even happened and continued with her train of thought as she stared at my mouth.

_I want you to lick my..._

As she dragged her fingers slowly downward along my face, my ability to see further into her mind vanished.

It seemed I had a way to see into her mind after all... The game was far from over. I grinned with guile at my new discovery. Bella constantly kept surprising me, without fail. She remained a complicated puzzle that I was compelled to figure out, and my curiosity, among other things, were very much peaked.

As her hands slid closer to my lips, I turned my head to catch one of her bloody fingers in my mouth and I sucked it clean of Marcus' remains. I then buried my face in the crook of her neck and licked off more of the blood that had painted her skin.

She held me close and sighed softly with pleasure as she twisted her fingers through my hair. "You're hungry," she commented on the voraciousness of my kiss. "Let's find you someone to eat, too."

"If you don't mind, I think I'll start with you, first," I growled, and lowered my hands to cup her ass. I pulled Bella down to the floor with me and we had our way with each other right in the pool of Marcus' blood.

It was round two. The team was even again. The playing field was level. What happened with Jasper was unfortunate, but it needed to be done. I wanted a partner in the game, not a commander, and I knew that playing with Bella would be the most fun I would ever have.

**The End.**

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_**A/N: Comments are sinfully delicious. Treat me to some!**_

**Thank you so much to my lovely friend and beta, Bratty-Vamp. You're my number one cheerleader and source of inspiration. I couldn't have done it without you. Thanks to my Jenny-Jen for the spark that ignited a pivotal idea in my brain. I owe you big! Thank you to each and every one of my readers and reviewers. I hope you enjoyed this story.**

**I'm toying with the idea of a sequel. So stay tuned! Add me to your author alert list if you are interested in my future stories. **

**Hope to see you on the next one! :)**

**xoxo kalejay**


	12. Outtake from Ch9  JPOV

**A/N: This outtake from Chapter 9 shows what happened with Jasper and Bella right after Edward left the motel to go to the garage.**

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**Outtake from Chapter 9 - Under My Roof**

**Jasper's POV**

**"Playtime"**

"Insubordinate bastard," I muttered in irritation just before Cullen left. I made sure he heard my distaste for his recent loathsome behavior before he shut the door behind him.

That little shit was really fucking pissing me off. I should have dumped his sorry ass and went to find myself a partner that was worthy of my time. One that didn't backtalk. One that did what he was fucking told!

I huffed and pointed the remote at the TV to raise the volume higher. The sound of the annoying insurance commercial was more tolerable than the sound of Cullen's obnoxious voice that continued to whine inside my head.

"'_I'm __just __playing __with __my __food,'_" I mimicked, mocking Cullen's asinine reasoning. I realized that I was the one to have burned that technique into his mind, but it was clear that Cullen had no intention of ever taking a bite from her. At least not anytime soon. I felt his reluctance when I confronted him. It was complete madness. That was not how I raised him to be and he would not make a fool of our kind… Of _me_!

I wanted my brother back. The one I _made_. Not this pussy-whipped limp-dick sorry-ass embarrassment that I was ashamed to call my brother.

That whore of his was clouding his thoughts, both literally and figuratively. I was going to do him a favor and make sure she was taken care of before he became permanently brainwashed.

With Alice getting beaten up, being stuck in Shit Town, USA and dealing with that disobedient prick I spawned, I was half a brain cell away from completely losing my fucking mind.

I considered jacking a car just to get the fuck out of dodge, but the thought of abandoning Alice made me completely sick to my stomach. Clicking off the TV, I dropped my feet to the floor and rested my arms on my knees.

"Don't worry, Alice. I won't leave you, baby," I murmured under my breath. I'd spent the entire day at the garage by her side while she suffered through strangers' greasy fingers toying with her insides. I wasn't about to ditch her after the hell they put us through.

_My_ girl was the only one that mattered here. _Mine. _I wasn't about to let Cullen get any more attached to that cunt stench of his than he already has. Three's a crowd. It was time for that bitch to go. If Cullen didn't have her blood on his breath by the time the day was through then I was going to make him watch as I eviscerate her myself, limb by bloody fucking limb.

I stared down at my clenched fists. I needed to calm down.

Closing my eyes, I imagined myself back between the legs of my last kill. I instantly felt a smile tug at my face. That was better… Yes… Much better… I stayed there for a while, replaying the memory until my anger completely vanished. She had been quite enjoyable, that last one. It was hard for me to decide which flavor I enjoyed more; fresh blood or pussy. Each were succulent on their own, but the _combined_ taste... was ambrosial.

I opened my eyes, nearly able to feel her warm sticky blood dripping down my face all over again. When I looked back at my hands they were open and relaxed.

"Much better," I repeated to myself.

I lifted my head toward the door a second before the knock came. I rose to open it and was greeted by lady luck. My lip curled up and I casually leaned against the doorframe as I greeted my visitor.

"Oh," she flustered, clearly expecting Cullen to have opened the door. "I'm looking for Edward."

"You're Bella," I said without question to my tone. I knew right away. She smelled like Edward's breath. Classy. Couldn't she have showered before coming back for seconds? What a whore… Still, with just one look at this chick I could understand what made Cullen stiff for her. Or maybe it was just my leftover sensation from my daydream. Either way, I wanted to give it to her hard. _First_.

She nodded. "That's me. You're his brother, right?"

"Jasper." I flashed her a sexy smile and made her blush.

She pushed past the momentary distraction and returned her focus on her search. She looked at me expectantly. "So, can you tell me where Edward is?"

"Edward is…" I cut myself short as a thought struck me. As much as I was looking forward to ravaging this girl in the messiest way possible, I suddenly thought of a better idea. Killing her would be fun, but forcing Cullen to kill her himself was what I really wanted. To watch him execute my command. To show him who was boss. Cullen wanted to play games? Well, two could play, and it was my move.

Instead of answering, I pointed my index finger toward the ceiling and Bella tilted her head upward. I leered at her neck and began salivating as I couldn't help fantasizing about tearing into her carotid artery. Bella lowered her head again a second later and looked at me confusedly.

I swallowed. "He's on the roof."

"The roof?" She frowned skeptically.

I calmed her uncertainties. I needed her to make her trust me.

"It's got a nice view," I shrugged. "What else is there to do around here, right?"

She smiled in agreement.

_Gotcha._

"Come, I'll take you up," I said.

She took a few paces backward as I stepped outside with her. I closed the door behind me and took a quick look around the immediate area. It was completely deserted save for the two of us. The sun had started to set and the snow was falling. It would be sure to cover our footprints in a matter of minutes.

We rounded the building to the utility stairwell and I forced the door open without her even noticing it had been locked. I lead the climb up the shaft and we ascended in single file quietly for the first few steps. Then she decided to open her trap.

"So, that really sucks about Edward's car breaking down. You couldn't have gotten stranded in a more boring town," she babbled in an attempt at small-talk.

I gritted my teeth together. _His_ car? He fucking wishes. Fuck it. It was pointless to correct her. "Yeah. Sucks." I replied simply and internally damned Cullen for giving me another reason to hate him.

"Fuck!" Bella suddenly hissed. "Fuck, fuck, _fuuuuck_!"

I turned around to see what had caused her to swear so intensely. She stood five steps below me holding her right wrist inside her left hand. And the smell hit me like a brick wall.

Blood.

"Goddamn handrail sliced my hand open," she cursed.

I looked at the jagged metal handrail where a bright red smear stained it, and it took everything in me to stick to my plan and not attack the girl. Mother of hell, it hurt to deny the blood. So fresh… so pungent out in the air… How could Cullen do this over and over? Masochistic bastard.

I forced myself to focus elsewhere and gave both of us a shot of serenity. "You okay?" I managed to get out.

She sighed, visibly calmer. "Yeah. I think so." She made a tight fist to staunch the flow of blood and climbed the remaining stairs separating us until we stood on the same one. She playfully punched me in the shoulder before she climbed up past me. "You're brought me into the stairway to hell. It's like you're trying to kill me on purpose," she said to me over her shoulder.

I watched her ass sway back and forth with each step she took and seriously debated changing my mind back. "Don't tempt me," I uttered lowly enough so she wouldn't hear me.

When we exited on the rooftop, Bella saw that Cullen was clearly nowhere to be found. She then turned back to look at me. "He's not here."

"Hmm," I scratched my chin, pretending to be at a loss. "I guess he went to buy some smokes first. I'm sure he'll be here in a few minutes."

Bella seemed to buy my bullshit. She shrugged and walked to take a look at the greenhouse a couple dozen feet away.

The sound of footsteps crunching over the snow-covered sidewalk tore my attention away from her. I walked to the edge of the roof so I could see the street, and sure enough, there was Cullen a couple blocks away walking toward the motel in a hurry. I looked at Bella to see if she noticed him too, but she was occupied with her new discovery.

I turned back to my game piece on the curb and watched him until he stopped dead in his tracks right across the street. I sneered in satisfaction when I felt his dread as he discovered Bella's car parked in front of our room.

"Game on," I said, licking my lip.

* * *

_**A/N: Comments are sinfully delicious. Treat me to some! **_

_**I may possibly write some more outtakes in the future. Stay tuned!**_


	13. Prequel: Two Plus Two Equals (Part 1)

_**Here's the story of how Edward and Jasper first meet. Edward's POV.**_

**Two Prequel**

**One Plus One Equals**

**(Part 1)**

A drop of condensation slides slowly down my beer bottle. I watch as it glides seductively down along its neck, then absorbs into the label. Once upon a time, that drop of water was my fingertip that trailed its slow, deliberate path down Kate's neck to the curve of the top of her breast. I can still hear the sound she made that first time I touched her naked skin; the way she bit her lip; the way I made her breath quicken.

I bring my bottle to my lips and tip it back, swallowing the cold contents to drown out the stifling memory. She's gone now, and just like the beer, she's left a bitter taste in my mouth.

"Can I get you another?"

I look up at the bartender and shake my head. "I'm done," I reply, not even slightly referring to the copious amount of alcohol I had consumed in the past couple of hours. He grabs the tip I left on the counter for him and mutters something I fail to make out.

"Edward!"

A hand clamps down roughly on my left shoulder before I have the chance to turn at the sound of my name. When I do, I find the owner of the hand belongs to someone on my ever-growing shit list: Joe, my supervisor at the warehouse I work at. Or "Dickhead", as I prefer calling him. Dickhead actually used to hold the top rank on my list until Kate and the prick she left me for obtained the crowning positions.

I glare at his hand on my shoulder for a beat, then lift my gaze up to his face, hoping my expression conveys my thoughts: _Take your hand off me or you're going to lose some digits._

Miraculously, he removes his hand and drops it into the pocket of his coat. He lifts out a ring of keys and irritatingly shakes them an inch in front of my face. "Do you know what these are?" he barks at me.

The gesture is meant to annoy me. It does, but I don't let it show. I don't even so much as flinch. I let Dickhead shake the keys to his hearts content until he gets tired of it. I just stare into his eyes feeling my blood boil and seriously begin to reconsider his demotion from my shit list.

"Well? You gonna just sit there and stare at me like a dumb mute? They're keys! You know, the things you use to lock up a warehouse with?"

I look away from him and take another swig from my beer. "I did lock up," I answer apathetically.

"The fuck you did, you drunk idiot! The outer gate was hanging wide open!" Joe shouts at me. His breath is hot on the side of my face. "You can't do anything right, can you? A simple padlock is too complicated for your puny brain to handle, am I right? You're lucky as fuck that I happened to drive by to see your stupid mistake before the place got emptied!"

Yeah, so I had flat out lied to him. The truth is, no, I didn't lock up. I was the last one to leave and I purposely left the gate open because I don't give two fucks if the place would get robbed. In fact, I prayed it would happen. Dickhead deserves it. It's just more of my fucking bad luck that he discovered my gift to potential thieves before they did. Fuck my life.

I blink slowly, savoring the taste of my rage that kept growing with every syllable Dickhead uttered. It takes every ounce of my restraint not to bash his head in. I set my empty bottle on the counter before I convince myself to hit him with it, and turn on my stool to face him. "I'm off the clock, Joe," I say, my teeth gnashed together. "You don't pay me to be polite after I've punched out. So, why don't you take your rank breath out of my personal space before I break your face."

Dickhead is shocked into silence. He's never experienced me talking back to him this way.

My heartbeat kicks up a notch when I realize what I'd just said but I keep my gaze steeled with Dickhead's. I lost count of how many drinks I had but if telling this ball-buster what I think of him is what comes of it then it was just the right amount. I needed some cheering up, anyway.

Dickhead abruptly laughs once then squeezes my shoulder and cocks his head. He puts his face directly in front of mine, as if it wasn't close enough before, and says, "Watch yourself, son."

This time I don't hold myself back as I introduce my forehead to the bridge of his nose. I don't feel any pain. Not a damn bit. Dickhead goes down hard to the floor and I follow on top, letting my fists fly. Blood is gushing from my knuckles from where his teeth must have cut them. The sight makes me euphoric.

Sooner than I like, I feel a pair of hands grab me and haul me roughly up off him.

"Alright, get out of here!" Someone shouts at me. Security I imagine. Lucky for Dickhead. Two more swings and his face would have been pulp.

I'm being pushed toward the exit and I can just barely make out Dickhead's shouts through swollen lips and missing teeth. Something that sounds like, "you're fired".

I suddenly can't stop laughing. The whole situation is fucking ridiculous. Twenty-four hours ago I was fucking my girlfriend. Twenty-three hours ago she told me there was someone else and she was leaving me for him. Four seconds ago I had a job. Three seconds ago I lost that too.

I tighten my fist causing the skin to break and spill fresh blood, and all I can do is keep laughing like a maniac. "Fuck you!" I shout, at nothing, at everything.

Security shoves me one last time for good measure, making sure I don't miss the front door.

"Okay, I'm going, I'm going!" I say, hands up at my sides in mock surrender.

As I round the corner toward the exit, my shoulder catches the edge of the wall, making me spin back around. Only when I look I notice it wasn't a wall I hit at all. The guy I bumped into steadies me, his hand on my forearm. He eyes my bloody hands for a moment then looks at my face and smiles at me like he knows something I don't. His black eyes are a harsh contrast to his blond hair.

I feel a sudden inexplicable kinship toward this stranger, like I already know him. It weirds me out and I manage to push the feeling away. I mumble an insincere apology for bumping into him and pull my arm from his grasp. His smile only grows and I automatically assume he wants to fuck me. I frown and turn away to sever our shared gaze. I'm not in the mood to tell this guy I don't play for his team.

Pushing the door open, I'm assaulted by a bitter cold wind. I duck my head down and pull my coat closed, then walk around the building to escape the onslaught. The cold is sobering and it's not long before I feel the pounding in my head where I was introduced to Dickhead's nose. My knuckles are throbbing and I feel like passing out. I don't make it three feet before I fall over beside the dumpster behind the bar. I sit in the snow propped up against the wall and look around, grateful nobody was around to see me bail.

The heaviness in my chest finally gets the better of me and I seriously contemplate just spending the rest of the night – or my life– out in the cold. It's not like my shitty basement apartment holds more appeal than the dumpster I'm sitting next to.

I close my eyes, hoping to freeze to death. The cold feels so nice and numbing.

"You are way too pretty to be looking so depressed."

The voice makes my eyes snap back open. It's the guy I bumped into on the way out of the bar and he's standing right above me.

"Not interested," I say, looking up at him.

"I can't let you sit out here and wallow in your pity."

"Fuck off!" The kinship I felt has completely vanished. Now he's just starting to piss me off.

"Get up."

I look at him like he's a deranged lunatic.

He smiles at me. "Thank you. Your anger tastes a lot better than your self-pity. Keep it coming."

Yup. He _is_ a deranged lunatic. "Keep moving, asshole. Take your crazy somewhere else."

"Get up," he repeats.

"Are you serious?! Look, man, I already kicked one guy's ass in there and you're going to be next if you don't—"

"Prove it," he goads.

_Oh, fuck _this_ shit._

The rage I thought I felt just minutes ago inside the bar doesn't compare to the fury I sense at this moment. I want to tear this guy apart. Ignoring the pain in my head and hands I shoot upwards and knock my body against his, ready to push him down, only it feels like I ran into a wall again. Before I know what's going on he spins me around and has his chest pressed against my back. He pulls the collar of my coat away from my neck. I can't move.

"They always taste so much better when they get worked up," he whispers in my ear. Then the fucker leans in and bites into my neck.

And now I feel pain. So much pain. There's fire and ice in my veins.

I'm screaming.

He laughs.

It goes dark.

* * *

_**(Part 2 coming soon!)**_


End file.
